Handgun Ammo

There is nothing really new about necking cartridge cases down to accept smaller bullets and thus increase muzzle velocity.

It seems Springfield Armory (SA) has been taking refresher courses on cool, vintage, battle-proven pistols of late.

The roots of the Ruger Bisley go back to the 1st Generation Colt Single Actions from which the original Bisley came.

In a world of striker-fired, poly-framed, semi-auto shell shuckers, Springfield Armory surprised everyone with an old school, forged billet all-steel shooter.

The Smith & Wesson Military & Police series of polymer-framed semiautomatic pistols is approaching its 20th year.

We are told there is no such thing as a magic bullet. Perhaps so; however, when it comes to the .44 Magnum there is one that comes almighty close.

Everything about sixgun power changed when the .44 Magnum arrived in late 1955.

Most of the shooting world knows by now the Remington Arms Company we all were familiar with in the past is no longer with us today.

Today we have a long, long list of repeating rifles available chambered in cartridges designed for long-range varmints and small game hunting. A century ago...

Here's why some of the giants in the defensive-handgun business carry .44 Specials.

I was intrigued with the 10mm Auto when it came out in the early mid-’80s and bought one as soon as I saw it at Riley’s Gun Shop in Hooksett, NH.

Sam Colt was a genius, however, just as those of us who are not, he also had flaws in his character.

Today we have all kinds of jacketed bullets for every conceivable cartridge, even though there are shortages from time to time because of the heavy buying...

Before carrying a percussion pistol afield there are several things that can be done to make sure it is as totally reliable as possible.

Sport Pistol is a relatively new powder from Alliant designed specifically for handgun use.

Deep within the belly of social media, amongst tiered special-interest groups, you’ll find “bullet casters” at the bottom of the heap.

Even though a dozen or so 9mm cartridges arrived in the 20th century, today when we say “9mm” virtually everyone knows exactly which 9mm we are talking...

When it comes to casting bullets and handloading, versatility is my favorite word.

What did Doc Holiday, Billy the Kid, Pat Garret, Pearl Hart and John Wesley Hardin have in common? The Colt M1877 Revolver

When it comes to the absolute embodiment of cool, Germany’s .30 Luger has been at the top of the heap since its adoption.

The first successful repeating lever-action rifle was the 1860 Henry. B. Tyler Henry was Oliver Winchester’s shop foreman at New Haven Arms and the Henry...

No doubt about it — I’m an addict. But, not for any sort of chemical substance. I’m a bullet mold addict! Here’s some evidence.

Not long ago I bought a nickel-plated S&W Model 1-½ with mother-of-pearl grips whose former elegance couldn’t be dulled by time. The biggest problem? It...

The .405 Winchester was designed in 1904 for the Winchester 1895 lever gun.

In the beginning, Oliver Winchester’s company brought forth the first really successful repeating firearm with the .44 Henry levergun. When the bullet was...

This 10mm is the latest in Springfield’s successful series of well-made $849 1911 pistols. The fixed sights encompass a ledge-shaped rear to allow...

Reaching into the large mason jar, I grab a handful of my favorite plinking centerfire ammo. Having several favorites, today’s flavor is 9mm and .38...

If ever a cartridge were worthy of Magna Cum Laude status, the 500 S&W Magnum would hold those prestigious honors!

For most of my 62 years of Handloading/Reloading, I have leaned to the heavy side of loads.

The modern era of the 2" revolvers/pocket pistol/snub gun/belly gun began in 1926 when Colt introduced the Detective Special by trimming the barrel of their...

We continue our look at the Personification of the Perfect Packin’ Pistol using these words from the Taffin Dictionary of Sixgunning:

Today’s latest idea in bullets is powder coating. Several companies offer powder-coated bullets and it’s pretty easy as a do-it-yourself project.

If you’re squeamish, or prone to vasovagal syncope — grab the smelling salts. I’m about to reveal something few, if anyone, knows.

Thanks to stalwarts JD Jones of SSK Industries and Larry Kelly of Mag-na-port International, the 1970s were the heyday for handgun hunters, the decade being...

The U.S. Military used the 1911 through two world wars and then in 1947 the Army began looking at the possibility of adopting a smaller, lighter .45 ACP pistol.

As this is written we are at the apex — hopefully — of the Corona Virus Lockdown.

In 1905 John Browning designed a semi-automatic pistol firing a new .45 cartridge the style of which we now label “rimless,” even though it does...

Every range has them — Range Rats. They’re not beady-eyed, long-tailed rodents, but die-hard shooters who frequent the range almost daily

The fourth cartridge in this series is from Smith & Wesson, chambered in a swing-out cylinder double-action revolver — the .45 Auto Rim.

I load and shoot large amounts of cast bullets of several types in my 1911s. As outlined in the first installment of this series, all of my .45 ACP rounds —

Big Horn Armory’s (BHA) AR500 chambered for the most powerful cartridge in existence for AR-platform guns — the 500 Auto Max!

In the early 1980s, the combined wisdom of Jeff Cooper and Whit Collins created the 10mm Auto cartridge. Dornaus & Dixon introduced their Bren Ten pistol as...

I could happily end my shooting days with the .45 Colt cartridge and never feel cheated. With handloads, the .45 Colt offers a versatility many cartridges lack.

What I hate is the .41 Colt is not exactly a handloading sweetheart. When I first started handloading for a nice Colt SAA .41 in 1982, factory ammo was...

What’s in a number? There was a time in ancient history, and for some people still today, when numbers were thought to be mystical.

I began reloading ammunition decades ago, initially using an old Lee Loader, a set of those plastic powder measures and a great deal of patience.

Like most of my obsessions, it started by thumbing through a gun magazine — certain articles grab our attention, refusing to let go.

The argument is background noise anyplace two or more gun guys are gathered. Could you, should you ever, use a .22LR as a defensive weapon?

A victim of poor timing and marketing, the promising .356 TSW (Tactical Smith & Wesson) cartridge may be on the verge of a comeback.

A victim of poor timing and marketing, the promising .356 TSW (Tactical Smith & Wesson) cartridge may be on the verge of a comeback.

Today we have a large choice when it comes to .44-40 (.44 WCF) leverguns. Replicas are available patterned after the Model’s 1860, 1866, 1873 and 1892.

People sometimes ask, “What’s your favorite gun?” Or sometimes it’s, “What’s your favorite cartridge?” I always reply, “You mean today? I...

I tend to collect rimfire ammo like John Taffin collects six shooters. In recent years I’ve enjoyed shooting .22s more and more, and love to try different...

Over the span of about three decades, Black Hills Ammunition has grown from a small part-time operation to one of the most respected manufacturers of...

The .44 Magnum has now been around for well over 60 years and it seems like a good time to look back at this excellent — perhaps even all around —...

Sometimes it seems nobody really likes the .223 Remington. Ever since the inception of the AR15 60 years ago, this little round has been under a magnifying...

Some out-of-town visitors told me how much fun they had shooting cowboy guns at a local dude ranch. Knowing the dude ranch was within the city limits, I...

I cannot tell a lie … at least about .22-caliber rimfire ammunition. I go through lots of it. My Ruger 10/22 was once described by a shooting buddy as a...

I first became acquainted with the new fluted bullet designs for defensive ammo in the latter part of 2015 with the introduction of ARX ammunition,

Along with the vast array of handgun models available for personal protection, there’s also been a flood of self-defense ammunition. One of the best...

Okay, the .38 Special may no longer be the dominant law enforcement sidearm it was back in the days when Colt and S&W were locked in mortal combat for the...

At the risk of enraging millions of American deer hunters, I will boldly state my favorite big-game quarry is wild boar.

There are several manufacturers offering 2-inch .38 Special snubbies or belly guns—whatever we wish to call them. With nearly every state now providing...

This .44 is from Uberti via Cimarron. It has been dubbed the “Bad Boy” and it is one exceptionally good-looking and handling .44 sixgun.

Christmas comes but once a year they say. But if you do it right, once a year is more than enough. To use an overworked, semi-obnoxious piece of...

Like most things in my life, I’m usually late to the party. Take the .41 Magnum for example. I’ve just recently jumped on board and become a convert.

Here in the US of A, our preeminent “non-magnum” defensive handgun cartridges include the 9mm, .38 Special and .45 ACP. All feature +P versions in more...

The .38 S&W, not to be confused with the .38 S&W Special, is one of our older cartridges. According to who you believe, the .38 Special arrived in 1899 or...

Recently, by consulting various reloading manuals and research books, I determined in my 48 years of handloading, I’ve put together loads for at least 125...