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Once in a while, a gun comes along that offers such a unique combination of features that it is quickly popular, occasionally beyond logic. Sometimes, it takes a few years for a gun to achieve that almost iconic status. I am not sure how it went with the gun in question, but it is certain that the pre-war Colt Woodsman is a classic handgun that enjoys cult favorite status. As most handgunners are aware, the Woodsman is a handy-size .22 auto that was the gold standard in this type of gun during the period before and immediately after World War II.
November 06, 2012
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A wadcutter is a style of bullet that is almost completely cylindrical in shape. While there have been a few jacketed wadcutters, the majority are lead. Most commercially loaded wadcutters are swaged from lead alloys and some even have a hollow base. Cast lead wadcutters are often double-ended, particularly those used by handloaders.
October 31, 2012
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After the legendary Miami shootout, the FBI’s firearms people were faced with a fistful of problems. Not only were they charged with the responsibility for developing or selecting a new gun for their agents, they also had to come up with a protocol for selecting cartridges and loads. Some dedicated people went at it hard for a considerable period of time, and came up a standard procedure of shooting a series of shots of a given load into properly calibrated ordnance gelatin and through various kinds of intervening barriers. After a while, the so-called “FBI protocol” came to be accepted as the best means of evaluating defensive cartridge performance. Routinely used by the major ammunition makers, it is a reliable standard. That portion of the effort was a resounding success.
October 18, 2012
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Apparently, enough American gun owners are making their feelings known to the politicians, because the majority of states have enacted laws that permit some form of CCW permits. Better yet, there is a bill under consideration that would require all states to honor permits issued by other states. This is a positive step forward and is much closer to the day when every American can be licensed to carry if he or she so chooses. I have no trouble understanding the intent of the 2nd Amendment, but politicians sometimes have difficulty fully grasping some very simple language. So we have to spend all kinds of time and money. OK, so be it—but we are making progress.
October 10, 2012
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In the Marine Corps, we grew accustomed to the term “snapping in,” meaning practice firing without the use of ammunition, or dry firing. In view of the cost of ammunition in these troubled economic times, many of us are forced to dry fire in order to develop handgun marksmanship. I have personally spent hundreds of hours in dry fire, and have developed basic competence with the pistol, maybe a little more. It makes me wonder what might have happened if I had spent thousands, but I digress....
October 05, 2012
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What's it worth? Usually, the answer has to be “I have no idea” but the question is one of the most common from curious readers. Some magazines offer answers to reader's questions as a regular feature, but hedge the answers just a little bit. They might say “A gun of the type you mention should bring between $500 and $900” and not “Your gun is worth $783.19.” There are two reasons why this is true—condition and location. A used guns' condition is critically important but sometimes a gun's value varies with where it is being sold. Big magnum revolvers are probably more likely to sell in rural areas where they can be effectively used. Smaller, concealed-carry guns enjoy a better market in urban venues with more densely concentrated populations. Regardless of the circumstances of the sale, the greatest single factor in selling a used handgun is the gun's condition. You are way ahead in the deal if the gun is in excellent or better condition. If it is a desirable gun in new condition, you rule the deal, but if the gun is much less than 100 percent, then it is a “shooter” and the only buyers are likely to be someone who views the gun as a tool.
September 26, 2012
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Webley-Fosbery (or Fossies) revolvers are beautifully made gun from the Golden Age of British armsmaking, and they are quite unique. I am sorry to say that I have never fired one—you have to go to my old friend and fellow Field Editor Garry James for that kind of experience. While the recent Italian Mateba revolver has some distinct similarities, the Fossie stands different in the history of small arms.
September 20, 2012
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Primarily applying to Smith & Wesson revolvers, target trigger means an extra-wide trigger that curves gently under your finger. As the term suggests, it is intended for formal target competition.
September 18, 2012
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In the very earliest days of International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association, one of its founding gurus, the late Elgin gates, designed some new cartridges for the sport. This was long-range handgun work—50, 100, 150 and 200 meters. The distant targets were hard to hit because of their size and hard to knock down because of their weight. You needed an accurate, flat-shooting, high-velocity, heavy-bullet load in your handgun, particularly when shooting revolver class. That’s why we have the Gates’ Super Mags—.357, .375. .414 and .445. It is an interesting array of cartridges that achieved varying degrees of popularity. All of them required special long-frame, long-cylinder revolvers made mostly by Dan Wesson. All four have a rimmed case that is 1.61 inches in length. Since I worked a great deal in the 70s with three out of the four, I have some impressions to contribute.
September 10, 2012
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I clearly remember the press conference where Smith & Wesson’s Tommy Campbell announced the .40 S&W cartridge along with the Model 4006 pistol to fire it. The announcement created such a stir that almost anything “Forty” was a viable product. Like so many things, the .40 was a compromise, an effort to increase stopping power without increasing gun size or inadvisably reducing capacity. Most of those design criteria were pretty well met. But I want to make a couple of points here, and that means putting the situation in context.
September 06, 2012
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“Throwin’ Down” is an old-time expression for drawing a handgun—typically a revolver—and demonstrably aiming the piece at a live target. I think it may have originated in the south and migrated west as the frontiers were conquered. It conveys an impression of a kind of flamboyance, but also one of deadly intent, as when… “Earp threw down on Curly Bill.” Sure, the term is slang, but slang is what makes our English language so expressively colorful. There are numerous examples of gun terms becoming slang terms with much broader meanings. How about “Don’t go off half cocked” to indicate a lack of preparation or “Lock, stock and barrel” to suggest completeness.
August 28, 2012
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In the era of bullseye shooting that started before World War II, the revolver was king. In those days, most folks shot either Colt or Smith & Wesson. Eventually, gunsmiths came up with ways to accurize the 1911, and then other autos surfaced and the revolver began to fade. Before it completely vanished from the competition arenas, some pretty accomplished craftsmen went to work on properly stocking the wheelgun.
August 21, 2012
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In the course of my weekly trip to Barnes and Noble in Reno, I ran across a book that I had not seen before. In the Reno store, gun books are just across the aisle from military history, so I usually spend a half hour of relaxed browsing in one spot. Last week’s visit produced a new gun book that all revolver enthusiasts need to know about. Titled Gun Digest Book of the Revolver and written by Grant Cunningham, the book is primarily concerned with revolver characteristics and how to manage the various models and makes. While the title might suggest another dreary survey of everything in production, it is far from that.
August 17, 2012
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America’s first metallic cartridge was a .22 rimfire, and it was introduced more than 150 years ago. While that little .22 Short was first fired in Smith & Wesson’s tip-up revolver, it went on to broader use in many rifles. Because of its modest price, low noise and minimal recoil, those early.22 rimfire revolvers were very popular handguns. Some Civil War officers even carried them in pockets as defensive firearms. They must have been hugely optimistic, because a .22 doesn’t have a large enough bullet or velocity to be an ideal fighting load. This does not change the fact that the .22 rimfire handgun has long been a big part of a handgunner’s battery.
August 14, 2012
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As much as we all enjoy guns and shooting, the clean up after a range session is never exactly pleasant. Even with modern solvents and tools, the residue left by shooting is difficult to remove. It’s even worse with lead bullets and a real pain when blackpowder is involved. A good bit of the gunk that is produced by the combustion of gunpowder can be at least softened and sometimes removed through the use of solvents. The old, traditional and still effective solvent is Hoppe’s No. 9, complete with that odd, banana oil smell. But when all the stuff that can be chemically removed is gone, you are stuck with the stuff that is mechanically imbedded in the barrel. This stuff has to be scraped from the bore. So what is the most efficient scraper? Long ago, old time gunsmith George Matthews introduced me to a product that is nearly miraculous. It is called Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner (or B45FMC for short).
August 09, 2012
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