August 14, 2012
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.
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August 14, 2012
After dropping off her teenage grandson, 57-year-old Lulu Campbell was sitting in her vehicle searching for her cell phone when two men approached with guns. Brenton Spencer, 32, and Dantre Shivers, 30, shouted at Campbell to open the door and give them her money.
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August 13, 2012
A big, fine revolver if there ever was one, the Magnum Research BFR provides power and versatility in a 100 percent made in the United States package.
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August 10, 2012
The availability of affordable lasers, lights and optics make the AR-15 a viable firearm for many uses. It is easy to customize this reliable operating system for both indoor and outdoor uses, such as when a fight extends to outside the home. Today’s optics are especially useful with the onset of riflescopes designed for the .223 Rem./5.56 round.
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August 09, 2012
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).
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August 08, 2012
Being able to center punch the 10 ring on a target is good, but being able to do it under pressure is what you need to be able to do in a self-defense situation.
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August 07, 2012
When 14-year-old Brady went to the kitchen for a glass of water late one night, he heard voices. Brady said, “I walked to the edge of the stairs and I [heard] them talking. I didn’t recognize their voices and I went back to my room and got my 12-gauge shotgun.
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August 06, 2012
This question came up in a combat range discussion not long ago. Indeed, when does the aiming process begin? Most present said something about aiming beginning when the gun is at the full extension of the arm and the front sight is visible. Possibly, but I think it happens earlier in the sequence. As a matter of fact, I can make a pretty good argument for aiming beginning at the moment you realize you need to shoot.
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August 06, 2012
Billed as the most powerful production revolver in the world today, the Smith & Wesson Model 500 defines pure power.
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July 31, 2012
I often trash movies for poor handling of firearms, but there is a saying that I've heard in movies that is correct when it comes to drawing a handgun: Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
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