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An answer to Colt's Detective Special and Smith & Wesson's Chiefs Special, the Ruger Speed-Six revolver was intended for use by plainclothes detectives and others desiring a more concealable handgun. The revolver, a variant of the Ruger Security-Six and Service-Six, incorporates fixed sights and a round-butt frame, and was available in .357 Mag., .38 Spl., .38 S&W (.380-200), and 9 mm Luger. The standard barrel lengths available were the same as those for the Service-Six, but also included a 3" length in certain law-enforcement contract orders, until the agencies using the revolver ultimately adopted .40 cal. semi-automatic pistols. For more on the the Ruger Speed-Six revolver, watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.
Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.
In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.
The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.
The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?