MISCELLANEOUS HANDGUNS

Many lessons can be learned from competitive shooting

Its sexy-looking, ventilated fore grip has Picatinny bases for front and rear sight mounting. It also has Picatinny bases on the fore grip’s left and...

Handgun technology hasn’t advanced nearly as rapidly as say, electronic technology. However, it has come a long way in 20 years.

Eagle Crips makes great panels for your Six Shooter.

During a conversation with a good friend who has hunted Africa extensively, the subject of buffalo came up. As a goal-orientated nimrod, I’ve always set...

I think very few of us would be likely to declare the revolver “dead.” In fact, I believe most of us find them to be serious tools still eminently...

When the feces hit the rotating oscillator and your body is not cooperating with what you need it to do, it’s good to be able to say to yourself,...

Its sexy-looking, ventilated fore grip has Picatinny bases for front and rear sight mounting. It also has Picatinny bases on the fore grip’s left and...

As closely as I can count, I’ve had extensive experience with over 75 .357 Magnums. This includes single and double action revolvers, semi-automatic and...

Sam Colt did not invent the revolver, but his Paterson in 1836 was the first successful repeating pistol. It was fragile and underpowered compared to the...

I defy you to pick up the CZ Scorpion 3+ Micro and not slip into a daydream of protecting a powerful dignitary with your briefcase machine pistol, or...

I was fortunate enough to tour the CZ factory in the Czech Republic some years ago after this beautiful country was freed from the yoke of Communism.

Cowtown! The name itself makes a person want to don a pair of spurs and a 10-gallon hat! Just about everyone involved in Cowboy Action Shooting has heard of...

When the quality of your shooting drops off, a process of elimination may show what needs correction.

These combat-used M45A1 pistols were undeniably sexy cool and Colt now owned them outright. Never before had there been a serious lot of modern GI-issue...

From its 1864 founding through its eventual 1920 absorption by Savage, the Stevens Arms Company was responsible for several signature creations — the...

Colt or Remington? I have often wondered which I would have picked had I lived in the last half of the 19th century. I have not had the privilege of...

When people compete on the firing line, there are lessons to be learned.

A few years ago, I bought a SIG Mosquito .22 pistol, thinking it would be an inexpensive practice understudy for my 9mm SIG P226. The Mosquito handled some...

When introduced in 1873 for the Colt Single Action Army, the .45 Colt was a powerhouse of a pistol cartridge. Initially, the cartridge had a 255-grain...

Here in the opening quarter of the 21st century, we are blessed to have access to virtually all the 19th century single-action percussion revolvers produced...

In late 1846, Texas Ranger Capt. Sam Walker put Colt back in business after their bankruptcy as he ordered 1,000 “heavy” revolvers complete with several...

A “Copper Queen Colt”! The very name makes the pulse quicken! But what is a Copper Queen Colt and why are they so desired? The answer lies in the...

The late, great handgun authority Col. Jeff Cooper famously recommended “a pair and a spare” of Colt Government Model .45s tricked out the way he liked....

Three of the finest single-action sixguns ever produced saw the light of day in the last quarter of the 20th century. These were Bill Grover’s Texas...

In 2005, Colt committed the unspeakable by discontinuing its iconic Python. For many, the decision portended the end of an era — indeed, the company’s...

In terms of specialization for a specific competitive purpose, few pistols — if any — can hold a candle to the Walther OSP.

A while back, I made reference to the little-known fact Harry Truman was something of a gun guy. I mentioned the Colt .45 ACP revolvers he brought home from...

Part of the charm of little guns is they’re easy to carry, easy to shoot, are often surprisingly accurate and just plain handy. But alas … one of the...

Colt or Remington? In the Civil War era, the Remington percussion sixgun was available both as an 8" .44 New Model Army and a 7 ½" .36 Navy Model....

Concluding this series, we now look at the last two black powder cartridges, the .38 Special and the .44 Special.

When many hunters conjure up thoughts about hunting in western states, those majestic elk or monster mule deer usually come to mind. Some even dream about...

Recently in this column we’ve looked at shooting established drills to get a sense of how well we’re performing. By regularly shooting one or more of...

If variation is an indication of popularity, the Remington 1858 is the most popular percussion revolver available. Both Pietta and Uberti offer a long list...

The weather was turning when Two Pony and his partner set out to retrieve strays from a remote canyon. They got most of the animals headed downcountry...

When night sights started to become popular decades ago, their obvious purpose was to get good hits when there was enough light to identify a deadly threat...

When we think of the wild and woolly west, most of us envision cowboys, lawmen and outlaws packing full-frame Colt, Remington and Smith & Wesson revolvers.

In 1856, Smith & Wesson entered into an agreement with Rollin White who held the patent on revolvers with bored-through cylinders. Then in 1857, S&W...

Sam Colt’s percussion revolvers were so successful he was blinded to the future and before he died he set the course for the Colt Company.

I don’t always carry a semiautomatic pistol with a double-stack magazine — but, about two-thirds of the time, I do. Meanwhile, American law enforcement...

The writing of such authors as Skeeter Skelton and other lawmen/scribes like Bill Jordan and Charles Askins influenced me to enter the field of law...

Sam Colt brought forth the first successful repeating firearm with the five-shot Paterson in 1836. Remington goes back even farther than Colt.

A new handgun emerges for handgun hunters or long-range pistol shooters. A huge percentage of gun sales today revolve around personal defense handguns so...

The Smith & Wesson Model #3 American was not only the first big-bore cartridge-firing sixgun, it was also the first cartridge revolver to be adopted by the...

If you’re like me, you’ve resisted any temptation to relegate the tried-and-true iron sights on your defensive handgun to “back-up” status by...

For many reasons some handgunners like having a rifle/carbine of the same caliber as their pistol. I’m one of those people.

The stubble-faced, black-hat-wearing outlaw sneered as he carved another notch in his Colt. When completed, he rubbed his thumb over it and sniggered.

Good guns can be made better and I offer you two recent examples, each from a legendary American handgun brand.

Our early pioneers of handgun hunting had very few choices when it came to firearms. Back in the infant stage of handgun hunting, revolvers were about the...

The United States Military adopted the Colt .45 Single Action Army in 1873. Apparently Smith & Wesson wanted in on the military contract so decided to...

So long as you live in one of the free states and you have the means, a sound suppressor really should be an integral component of your primary defensive...

Gunsite is much more than America’s oldest and largest privately owned firearms training academy. We help you prepare for life, long and short term. It...

Switching handgun systems — if you have a good reason — isn’t that hard.

In 1953 Bill Ruger combined the natural love shooters had for both .22s and Western movies and single-handedly resurrected the single-action sixgun with the...

It’s an argument as old as time, or at least since 1976 when The Shootist hit the silver screen. It is one of my favorite John Wayne movies but one I hate...

Are you as good with a handgun as you used to be? It makes sense to keep track.

Smith & Wesson’s recent introduction of their Military & Police pistol in 10mm Auto is but the latest proof this caliber is undergoing a reasonably strong...

Depending on who you talk to, PPC stands for “Practical Police Course,” “Police Pistol Course” or “Police Pistol, Combat.” LAPD veteran,...

The Remington over-under, single-action Derringer has been seen in numerous Western movies and television shows. The little guns were popular in real life...

What’s the most intimidating aspect of suppressor ownership? The $200 transfer tax is indeed onerous. However, profligate government spending and...

When I first saw the Taylor’s & Company’s snub-nosed, cap & ball 1858 Remington with a conversion cylinder to shoot .45 Colt, it instantly struck me as...

Looking for the best load for percussion sixguns is not all that different from cartridge-firing sixguns in the endless possibility of choices

Harry S Truman was president of the United States when I was born — and, yes, I am old. Reading history left me with a lot of respect for the man.

Introduced in 1955 and advertised as the Cadillac of revolvers, the Colt Python became something of a cult gun to my generation of handgunners.

I defy you to pick up the CZ Scorpion 3+ Micro and not slip into a daydream of protecting a powerful dignitary with your briefcase machine pistol, or...

The recent gun and accessory shortages have created the perfect environment for those seeking to part us from our hard-earned money. We are desperate to...

Colt had produced five Dragoon Models from 1847 to the early 1850s, consisting of the original Walker, the Whitneyville Walker Dragoon/Transition Model, and...

In 2020 Heritage Firearms introduced their Barkeep .22-caliber revolver. Heritage produces all those bargain-basement utilitarian Western-style rimfire...

New visitors to my Shooting Shack often point at a permanent fixture and ask, “What’s that for?” It’s my Ransom Pistol Machine Rest and I explain to...

I came across two handguns. Each had an emotional connection — and each had been significantly modified — and which, I knew now, both would have a...

Samuel Colt began things by offering the first successful revolver, the Paterson in 1836.

The biggest factor to overcome when going the custom gun route is asking yourself, “Am I worthy of owning one?”

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...

The importance of redundancy: As Clint Smith put it so eloquently, “Two is one and one is none.”

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.

Firearms are considered emergency life-saving rescue equipment, making regular handgun maintenance necessary not optional.

Honest wear doesn’t bother me so long as guns’ bores are bright and mechanical function is correct. Damage from neglect is a different matter. I always...

Around the turn of the 20th century, Smith and Wesson’s flagship K-Frame became big news and big business for the Springfield firm. Innumerable Spanish...

Assembled from an Essex receiver with a Colt slide and parts, it’s a very cool pistol but well worn. The slide to frame fit rattles, and unlike the hard...

In my lifelong study of World War II history, much of the focus has been on handguns used in the immense fracas.

In 1856 Smith & Wesson entered into an agreement with Rollin White who held the patent on revolvers with bored-through cylinders.

There comes a time in life when you wake up one morning and the brutal reality of your existence hits home.

I’ve often said I’m one of the last extant gun writers who still loves the pump shotgun for defensive use.

I have often said the best part of my job of being a gun writer for nearly 55 years is not all the guns I get to test but the many interesting people I meet.

As I get older, I’ve discovered the increasing importance of size, shape and diameter when it comes to shooting big bore sixguns.

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...

Hands down, the .45 Colt is my favorite handgun cartridge. You know this! Sure, I love other cartridges too, fickle as I am, but .45 caliber cartridges just...

The easiest and most noticeable way to change the personality of your shooter is by giving it some custom stocks.

Following the release of their ultralight chassis-based Modern Precision Rifle (MPR) a few years ago, Christensen Arms is out to prove size doesn’t matter...

The breeze had stalled and the heat began to pound at the sweating men in the howdah. Their pith helmets were damp, hot and uncomfortable in the sun.