22 OF OF OF 22 22 - Jeffersonian

Super Hawg...Super ShooterOnly the SUPER HAWGfrom Para delivers:Super HawgPictured:Single-Action,(Also availablein highcapacity,)• Six-Inch .45 ACP Long SlideYou get more velocity and more sight radiuswith the six-inch match grade ramped barrel andless felt recoil.• Super ReliabilityOur exclusive, patented Power Extractor has a50% larger claw to make this 1911 run flawlesslyevery shot.• Super TargetingYou need to see your front sight even in low lightconditions. The fiber optic front sights lets you zeroin on your target.• Super DurabilityGet a grip that you can hang on to with front strapcheckering. Hawg-tough all weather stainless steel iscorrosion resistant.• Super Choice – Single Stack or High CapacityThe Super Hawgs are the Best 1911s you can own and theycome in either 8-round or 14-round .45 ACP models.• Become a Super Hawg… Super Shooter TodaySee your Para dealer, or call Para USA at (704) 930-7600.10620 Southern Loop Blvd., Pineville, NC 28134 Phone: (704) 930-7600www.para-usa.com/super1911

LIGHT, FAST AND ACCURATE.®BUILT FOR AMERICA’S FORCES. BUILT FOR YOU.www.fnhusa.com/FIVESEVENlight3

Volume 34 • Number 2 • Issue 204Cover Photo: Chuck Pittman, Inc.2010MARCH • APRILFEATURES4848 a swenson tribute gun Roy huntingtonJohn Harrison’s stunning salute to the great master.50 Handgun ammo John connorWhat’s new, what’s hot and what works.52 Colt’s comeback JOHN TAFFINBig John tests some 1911s — from Colt!56 GLOCK 22 RTF MASSAD AYOOBHas Glock succeeded in their quest for perfection?62 ULTIMATE 1911 ACCOUTreMENT MIKE “DUKE” VENTURINOWho says you don’t need a Tommy gun?Exclusive:Available online only at americanhandgunner.com!THE CLIENT African adventures and professional insights. SAM FADALAOPTICS IN THE FIELDWhat do you really need to know about hunting glass? SAM FADALAMRI’s micro desert eagle Hot new pocket .380! j.b. wood66 RELOADING REVELATIONS DAVE ANDERSONIt’s time for you to take the plunge!68 BLADES OF battle PAt COVERTThe exciting new designs of Spartan Blades.70 SIERRA AND STARLINE JOHN TAFFINFamily companies that deliver the goods.74 THE LST GABOON RICHARD MANNA new look to the 1911?624 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

74DEPARTMENTS34 THE AYOOB FILES MASSAD AYOOBThe Homeowner and the Burglar: The Graham/Chambers Shooting.44 better shooting dave andersonAssociate with winners!46 the sixgunner john TaffinFNH FNP-40 semiauto.102 gunnysack roy huntington1911 Fixture and Zombie Targets.COLUMNS8 SPEAK OUT2822 GUNCRANK DIARIES JOHN CONNOR24 HANDGUN HUNTING J.D. JONES26 SHOOTING IRON MIKE “DUKE” VENTURINO28 REALITY CHECK CLINT SMITH30 PISTOLSMITHING ALEX HAMILTON66526832 HANDLOADING JOHN TAFFIN36 TAFFIN TESTS JOHN TAFFIN38 COP TALK MASSAD AYOOB4440 CARRY OPTIONS SAMMY REESE42 WINNING EDGE DAVE ANDERSON114 THE INSIDER ROY HUNTINGTONRESOURCES105 CUSTOM CORNER106 SPOTLIGHT STEVE EVATT110 AD INDEX111 CLASSIFIEDSHANDGUN OF THE MONTHWIN!76Win this S&W Thunder RanchDefensive Revolver!Check Out Web BlastFor More Info, VideosAnd Pictures AboutArticles In Every Issue.americanhandgunner.comJust click on the Web Blast icon!AMERICAN HANDGUNNER ® (ISSN 0145-4250) is published bi-monthly by Publishers’ Development Corp., 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128. Periodical postage paid at SanDiego, CA 92128, and at additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: One year (six issues) $19.75. Single copies $5.95 (in Canada $9.50). Change of address: four weeks notice required on allchanges. Send old address as well as new. Contributors submitting manuscripts, photographs or drawings do so at their own risk. Material cannot be returned unless accompanied by sufficientpostage. Payment is for all world rights for the material. The act of mailing a manuscript constitutes the author’s certification of originality of material. Opinions expressed are those of the bylinedauthors and do not necessarily represent those of the magazine or it’s advertisers. Advertising rates furnished on request. Reproduction or use of any portion of this magazine in any manner,without written permission, is prohibited. Entire contents Copyright© 2010 Publishers’ Development Corp. All rights reserved. Title to this publication passes to subscriber only on delivery to hisaddress. SUBSCRIPTION PROBLEMS: For immediate action, write Subscription Dept., 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AMER-ICAN HANDGUNNER ® , 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128. WARNING: Firearms are dangerous if used improperly, and may cause serious injury or death. Due to the inherentvariables in the reloading of metallic cartridges, verify all published loads with manufacturer’s data. Consult a professional gunsmith when modifying any firearm. Be a safe shooter!WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 570GO to: www.amerICanhandgunner.com/productindex.html FOR COMPLEtE PRODUCtinfo and artICLE AND MANUFACtURER’S LINKS!

SPEAKOUTYOUR FORUMTO PONTIFICATE,PONDER AND PROBEHelping Little LucyThe photographs — Lucy’s eyesbreak your heart. Is there a fund set upsomewhere where loutish old brutes cancontribute to helping the family?Bill HarkinsBlue Springs, MOReaders who would like to follow Lucy’sprogress can visit this Web site: www.caringbridge.org and then go to the “visita person” part and type in lucywaldeisenPACT_postxmas_09_fixed.pdf 12/16/08 9:04:18 AMLittle LucyDuke’s article about Little Lucy (Shooting Iron, Jan/Feb 2010) — and the fact Handgunner would offerthe space for it at the expense of taking care of advertisers — speaks loudly for both our shootingfraternity and your commitment to the “family” who makes up our bigger family of shooters, hunters andgun owners. My hat is off to you all. Or should I say, “To all of us”?Ron KimbertonVia e-mailin one word. If you’d like to donate hardcash to help out, send it to: Shiloh RifleManufacturing, PO Box 279, Big Timber,MT 59011. They are keeping the fundalive and making sure Little Lucy getsthe money for her treatment. Accordingto Lucy’s father, she has been going toNYC for an “experimental” treatmentand after three treatments she seems tobe reacting positively. He said she isfeeling good and behaving like a normalthree-year old. He also said she is justas much a “sweetheart in reality” as shelooks in those photos. Lucy’s family istouched by the help they have receivedfrom shooters everywhere. RHShoot Back First“Shoot Back First” — RH’s responseto a letter from GySgt Eric D. Smith(Speak Out, Jan/Feb 2010) was spoton.My tactical instructor in the USAFduring Vietnam always said something8 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

SPEAKOUTvery similar to that. Kept me alive, Ithink. Nothing else worked.The series of “letters” from the past(Sixgunner, John Taffin, Jan/Feb 2010)reached a zenith for me that will behard to pass after John Taffin’s treatmentof Elmer Keith and the developmentof the .44 Magnum. I’ve oftenthought myself about how I’d like towrite a letter to someone from “backthen.” Do it some more!Jan GerstnerDelafield, WISighting-InI recently purchased a newhandgun. What is the proper way tosight in the gun? Is there an article orbrochure available. If the rear sightneeds to be changed, what is the properway to do this?Tom StradeVia e-mailTom, I’ve asked Duke to do an articleabout it down the road. But to get yougoing, here are some basics. If you’reusing a handgun with adjustable sights,move the rear sight in the direction youwant your bullet holes to move. Hittingleft on the target? Move the rear sightto the right. Each sight is different sosimply experiment moving it “some” tosee how it changes the point of impact.Hitting low? Move the rear sight up.There are many rear sight options availableand some are easily changed by anovice. I’d say go to www.brownells.com to look at a wide variety of sightsthat may fit your guns. If your gun hasfixed sights things get a bit more complicated.Duke will cover that in hisarticle. RHNo Expirations HereI was going to let my subscriptionexpire because I didn’t think I could/should afford it any longer, but I hungonto the “Preferred Discount Renewal”offer — just in case. Well, “just incase” happened when I received mylatest issue today and realized howmuch I enjoy, and find value in it. I’mmailing in my renewal today. Yourmagazine is, in my opinion, the bestone out there dealing with nearly allaspects of owning and using handguns.I’m a retired soldier who also managedto cram in nearly two decades as astate trooper in the northwest, but havenow relegated all that to younger menand women. However, in mindset I’mstill a sheep dog and an Oath-Keeper.12/9/09 10:58:15 AMI find your writers to be top notch andespecially like Massad Ayoob, ClintSmith and John Connor. Oh, and Your10 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Digital Foliage CamoKhakiKhakiMain compartment andhydration compartmentcan acceptCCW accessories#0432 KODIAK TM GEARSLINGER TM NEW#0431 SITKA TM GEARSLINGER TM NEWMain compartment andhydration compartmentcan acceptCCW accessoriesKhakiFoliage GreenDigital Foliage CamoFoliage GreenBlack#MX0413 S-TYPE JUMBO TMBetter for left-side carry#MX0412 JUMBO TMBetter for right-side carryKhaki

USAPROUD©2010 0 BENCHMADE KNIFE CO. OREGON CITY, OR, USASPEAKOUTEditorship is no slouch either.Thanks for a great publication onhandguns, a truly important part of ouruniquely American culture and heritagethat is under constant attack on manyfronts — but must be preserved anddefended no matter the cost.K.G. HoggeVia e-mailThanks for your service, on bothcounts, Mr. Hogge, and for your supportof what we’re doing here at Handgunner.We’ll continue to play hardand have fun enjoying what we all love— shooting, collecting and generallymessing about with handguns! RHRoy’s BackyardEnjoyed your backyard gun-funin that video you did on the SpringfieldArmory custom guns (“A CustomXDm Duo,” July/Aug 2009). What Ilike about it is I get to see an actualpistol in someone’s hands. When a guysees all the latest offerings out theretoday online we never know just howthey will fit the hand, especially if theyare double stack pistols. Things likefeel, how do they fit the hand, weightand trigger pull are not known whenyou see a lot of the new stuff online. Ilive on a Island and don’t have a storeclose by where I can get the feel ofpistols. Thanks for inviting us intoyour backyard, and for helping me toactually see those pistols in “real” life.Great stuff!Lonnie T.Via e-mail7 5 5 M P Ra thing of beautyTITANIUM MONO-LOCKM390 SUPER STEELLonnie is talking about our onlineWeb Blast features offering additionalphotos and editorial and/or streamingvideo to accompany articles in ourprint edition. Just look for the green“Web Blast” icon, then go to www.americanhandgunner.com and click onWeb Blast to find more fun. Watch formore fun in Roy’s Backyard.The Pink PartsI’m beginning to believe the “pinkparts” (The Whinery in our Speak Outsections) are among the most entertainingparts of the magazine! Peoplelike Dennis Bachlet and Ol’ Josh Sternremind me of Chester B. Riley onthe old Life Of Riley radio program,when he’d say “Don’t confuse me withfacts, my head is already made up.”The really sad part is that Josh apparentlyhas a child. Given Josh’s ownwords, I can only say the poor kid suredoesn’t have much of a role modelVisit Us AtSHOTBooth#192512 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

SPEAKOUTpdf 12/16/08 8:47:20 AMin his old man. I also remind myselfit’s Californian intellect like Josh’sthat has inflicted the likes of Pelosi,Boxer, Feinstein, et-al, on the rest ofthe nation.Obama did do one positive thing formy own state, however. He hired thecounty executive who had nearly bankruptedour county, for a high level job inHUD. The anti-gun Seattle police chief,whose gun was stolen from his car, isnow the national drug czar. This is thesame guy who then immediately proclaimedon national TV that 90-percentof the guns used by the Mexican drugthugs are from US gun shows. Provento be wrong, of course.So, by all means, keep us “in thepink” … and keep us laughing!Lee FowbleEdmonds, WALee, not everyone in the great state ofCalifornia is an idiot, as I am remindedalmost daily with reader mail frommany of our constituents there. Theybeg to not be included in the unwashedgun-grabbing masses who have prettymuch ruined the state. I remain convincedif you could excise San Franciscoand most of LA you’d end up witha pretty cool place to live. They couldbuild an underground railroad betweenthem so nobody could escape. Call it LAFrancisco maybe? RHAliens?Since you’ve proven yourselves tobe staunch supporters of America andour way of life, I thought you mightexplain this to me. If you cross theNorth Korean border illegally, you get12 years of hard labor. If you crossthe Iranian border illegally, you aredetained indefinitely. If you cross theAfghan border illegally, you are shot.If you cross the Turkish border, youspend the rest of your life in prison.But if you cross the US border illegally,you get: A driver’s license,Social Security Card, Welfare, FoodStamps and free health care.Oh well sure … that makes perfectsense.Name withheld by requestVia e-mailLaughs LastIn today’s shaky economic times, it’s11/12/09 9:55:58 AMnice to be able to get a two-for-one dealon a great handgun periodical. I pay onecover price and get what I feel are twomagazines worth of content! I’ve readquite a few gun mags, from my earlyteens until now, although “now” is onlymy late 20s! While many have been14 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Pure Adrenaline from Smith & Wesson.Burn through all the ammunition you want with the newM&P15-22. The authentic Military & Police .22LR designaccepts most after-market mil. std. accessories, pluscosts a lot less to feed. Get your hands on one for someserious fun. Engineered and built in the U.S.A.smith-wesson.com NASDAQ: SWHC

Reliable FeedingReduced PenetrationALL BULLETSAre Not CreatedEQUALExcellent for CloseQuarter SecurityPerfect ForCivilian UseSPEAKOUTinformative, none have provided thelaughs yours has. It’s like the differencebetween the “Charlie Brown” teachers(you know ... “blah, blah, blah, blah,blah”) and the really cool ones. Bothcan get the job done, but you knowwhich one is going to stick in yourmemory.I’m not a subscriber, but for a goodreason. I discovered Handgunner oneday in the magazine rack at the busypharmacy where I work, the first time I’dever seen a gun book there. I work in apretty, ugh, “progressive” area. I figureas long as I keep buying your bookthere, they’ll keep stocking it there. Andwith them stocking it there, maybe someof those “progressives” might pick it upand catch some much-needed education,like one of Connor’s excellent columnson the Second Amendment.Kyle PetersonVia e-mailPremier Products from605.347.4544 • 800.626.7266corbon.comPremonition?Massad Ayoob’s report of the incidentat Fairchild AFB (Ayoob Files, Jan/Feb 2010) was the most intense I haveread in a long, long time. It will alsoprovide substantial material for contemplativethought for quite a while. Kudosto Mr. Ayoob and thanks to AmericanHandgunner for providing a platformfor his column.C. E. VoigtsbergerVentura, CAThe timing of that article was stunninglyaccurate and gave us all amoment wondering about fate andsuch. We had that edition to bed longbefore the shooting occurred at FortHood. If only those men and womenhad been allowed to have the firearmsthey had been trained to use — to fightback. I think it’s ridiculous to have ourmilitary unarmed, regardless of theirlocation. RH.30 Carbine Vs. RatsDuke’s article on the .30 carbine asa handgun-replacement (“.30 CarbineCombo Guns,” Nov/Dec 2009) took meback to an incident of my high schoolyears and a guy who had an M2 carbine.A group of friends and our fatherswould go to the county dump at nightto spotlight rats — a fast, furious andelating shooting game. And, exactlywhat it sounds like, spotters with lightswould climb to vantage points and lookfor rats amid the trash piles. Shooterswould then use handguns and handheldflashlights to try to dispatch the rats.When a rat was spotted, our favoredtactic was to run and jump after it,16 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

SPEAKOUTyou want a license for.I wish you guys all the best and keepup the good work!Sincere regards from Finland — anAmerican Handgunner and GUNS Magazinesubscriber,Patrik H. RelanderVia e-mailPatrik, thanks for your many kind wordsand your update on how bad the situationhas gotten in Finland for gunowners. We’ll keep the fight going, wepromise. I’ll bet Patrik might like tochat with some American gun ownersso drop him a line if you have time. Oh,and there will be lots more from my“backyard” here! RHFirst, Best GunsI really appreciated your columnabout first, best guns (Insider, Jan/Feb 2010) and reading it today hasprompted this email because I no longerhave that first and only gun my fathergave me several decades ago. I havebeen actively searching for this longlostrifle for the past several years inevery manner I can think of and afterseeing your column today, I thoughtI might ask you and your impressivemagazine for help.The rifle I seek is a Model 1915Stevens Favorite lever action singleshot in .22 LR. I believe it’s uniquein a number of ways that would makeit readily recognizable to any of yourreaders. First, it had a shortened, boylengthstock on it. The front sight was atarget type with an ivory bead. I believeit had a round barrel. The most recognizableaspect of this rifle is the silvercolored,nickel plated frame and lever.My grandfather had the metal platedwhen he took the gun into a shop tomanufacture a new firing pin. I do notremember if any of the other metalcomponents were plated but the leverand frame most distinctively were. Themetal was not polished to be reflectivebut has a matte silver color. Sadly, Ihave been unable to locate any photosof this rifle in my family’s pictureboxes and albums to use for furtherdetail examination.I sold this gun in the mid 1970s, aftergetting married and being caught shortof cash days before payday in NortheastOhio. I do not know the buyer. A fewyears ago I decided I wanted to buythis gun back if it could be located. Ihave advertised in local newspapers,placed cards on gun store bulletinboards, searched gun sales online sitesand asked numerous gun bloggers topromote my search through their blogs.Now it occurs to me to ask you and18 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

American Handgunner magazine forhelp in locating this little rifle. If youcould find a way to promote my searchfor this sentimental rifle, I would bedeeply indebted.Nate McCord,Ogden, UTVia e-mailWell you guys, let’s see if we can helpNate out here and locate his “First,Best Gun.” Put the word out, and ifwe can find it, I’ll publish a picture ofNate, reunited with his little .22. AndI know you all understand what thatwould mean to him. Let me know if youhave any success, Nate. RHLittle 1911s FussyThe article regarding Kimber’sRaptor II pistols (“Birds of Prey,”Jan/Feb 2010) was well written withexcellent photographs of the pistols,but lacked real world experience withthe Ultra Raptor II 45 ACP with the3" barrel. I purchased a blued versionof this pistol with four extraKimPro magazines for daily carry. Myson purchased a standard Ultra Carrypistol with the 3" barrel. Both of thesepistols are not 100-percent reliableand will not run with and the brand ofammunition we have purchased. Eachmagazine full will result in at leastone round failing to feed totally intobattery and requires clearing. In additionwe have experienced non-feedswith the slide locking open. Thesemalfunctions have occurred with allbrands of ammunition, including theKimber-recommended Federal Hydro-Shok loading.Both of these pistols and the magazinesare scheduled to be fine-tuned bya competent gunsmith to see if the reliabilitycan be increased where we feelsafe carrying them. In the meantimewe have reverted to carrying our fullsized1911s that run 100-percent withjust about any type of ammunition. Mysense suggests the manufacturers do notsubmit production guns for testing, butrather select their submissions.Albert L. ChambersVia e-mailAlbert, first off, we get standard productionpistols from the major makersas test guns. Their marketing departmentssimply order production guns atour request, which gets sent to us fromthe production floor just like any othermodel would get shipped out.The problems you have encounteredare not unusual for the tiny 1911s. Butthere are reasons, and they can beeasily corrected. The guns all requirea very firm hand-hold, wrist lock andWWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 19

SPEAKOUTPepperBlaster launches a powerful, less-lethalinflammatory agent at 90 MPHthat instantly stops an assailant.See it in action atwww.pepperblaster.com.22 LR Conversion Kitfits most brands of 1911 pistols.Installation takes one minute withouttools. Adjustable sight is included.The Kimber Custom Shopoffers premium 1911 night sights,magazines, grips, performanceparts and refinishing in thehigh-tech KimPro II ® process.KimPro ® Tac-Mag ®The ultimate .45 ACPmagazine for any brand ofmil-spec full size or compact1911. Three quick-changebases. Stainless steel withTeflon-coated follower.For more information on Kimber products,please send $2 to:Kimber, Dept. 236One Lawton Street, Yonkers, NY 10705,call (800) 880-2418 or visitwww.kimberamerica.comPepperBlaster products not to be sold to minors or where prohibited by law.©2008 Kimber Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved.body platform to recoil against. Theirtiny slides simply do not have the massa full-sized gun has to store energy tocycle the gun reliably on their own. So,they need a rock-solid “wall” to leanagainst. This allows the energy of thefired round to cycle the slide fully tothe rear to take advantage of the lesspowerfulrecoil spring, compressingit fully, then allowing it to snap home,chambering a round. I think you’ll findif you clean and oil your guns witha good quality lube, use clean, goodquality ammo and help things alongwith an extremely firm and stablefiring platform (locked wrist, elbowand shoulders forward), those gunswill run fine. And that premature slidelock?A classic response to a less-firmgrip. Give it a try and let me knowhow it works. Often, our test guns run100-percent because we clean andlube them correctly, use good qualityammo and magazines and shoot themproperly. Many shooters simply buy ahandgun, a box of cheap reloads andgo to the range. They are asking fortrouble. RHHow’s That?I found these articles to be a greatfirearms history lesson — but I’m confused.The articles (Sixgunner, “Lettersto Roy,” in the past three issues) startswith Dear Roy May 2, 1933 and April3, 1936! Are these atually letters fromTaffin to Huntington? How can thisbe? Roy Huntington, who is the currenteditor, and John Taffin can’t possiblybe that old. Okay, maybe Taffinmight be, now that I think of it, butsurely not Roy? What am I missing?Please explain.ChuckVia e-mailWe took some, uh … literary license asit were. I asked John to “write” me afew letters as if he had been around inthose early years and knew those gents.John did a stand-up job, and all thehistorical parts are spot-on. As far asJohn being old enough to have “beenthere, done that” — well, it might beclose. RHAmerican Handgunner ® welcomes letters to the editor. Wereserve the right to edit all published letters for clarity and length.Due to the volume of mail, we are unable to individually answer yourletters or e-mail. In sending a letter to Handgunner, you agree toprovide Publishers Development Corp. such copyright as is requiredfor publishing and redistributing the contents of your letter in any format.Send your letters to Speak Out, American Handgunner, 12345World trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128; www.americanhandgunner.com; e-mail: ed@americanhandgunner.com.20 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

More pint-size protection than aPOISON DART FROG.pistol and poison dart frogshown actual sizethe potent p238 SUBCoMpACtReliable and accurate, with all-metal construction.Nature proves, when it comes to self-defense, sizedoesn’t matter. www.sigsauer.com/p238

What’s the secret to making the finest custom 1911’s in the world? There are two of them, really.First, we start with the very best parts machined from the finest materials, from the all-important foundationcomponents including frames, slides and barrels to the smaller parts thatensure unmatched accuracy and perfect function such as sights, safeties,hammers and triggers. Each and every one of those fifty-three parts isproduced on the finest CNC machining centers available to guaranteeabsolute precision, consistency and superior quality.Then there’s the other half of the equation: Hand fitting and assembly by skilledartisans. Each of our master gunsmiths carefully files, hones, fits and finishes with hisown two hands all fifty-three of those parts into a perfectly fit, exquisitely built andtuned custom 1911 that fulfills our promise of delivering the most breathtaking out-of-theboxaccuracy and the most reliable operation in the world.1804 Iowa Drive • LeClaire, Iowa 52753Ph: 563-289-2126 • Fx: 563-289-2132Office Hours: 9am-5pm Central TimeEmail: info@lesbaer.comwww.lesbaer.comLooking for asuperiorsemi-auto rifleon a par with our1911 pistols?Prepare to be amazed by Les Baer Ultimate AR Riflesin .223, .204 Ruger and new 6.5 Grendel.Several sporting and law enforcement modelsavailable, all guaranteed to shoot 1/2" MOA.

SHOOTINGIRONMike “Duke” VenturinoTMPhotos: Yvonne VenturinoTHUMB BUSTIN’MUSINGS FROMTHE DUKEYou Know You’reA Gun’Riter If ...Manytimes I’ve been asked by other “gun guys” if Ithought they might be “gun’riter material.” Mostly theymistakenly believe writing a few articles insures themfree hunts to the “Three big As.” That is Africa, Australia orAlaska. Not to mention all the free guns and accessories that gowith the big bucks gun’riters make. Sure! Right! Dream on!Being a fan of Jeff’s Foxworthy’s “You might be a redneckif …” comedy routines, I’ve decided to paraphrase him so youcan judge yourself as to whether you are gun’riter material.If your folks bribed you into going to the senior promwith the loan of their car and some cash but then you tookyour date home immediately after the dance and then droveto the nearest city with a gun store so you could spend themoney on bullet moulds, powder and primers — you may begun’riter material.If during college you didn’t buy the prescribed schoolbooks and instead spent the money on gun magazines, andBall Games?If you have never had any trouble remembering yourwife’s birthday or your wedding anniversary becauseyour mind is practiced at remembering numbersbecause since your early teens you have memorized calibers,powder charges, bullet mould numbers and so forth,gun’riting is probably in your blood.If you have absolutely no interest in any games thatinvolve balls — football, basketball, baseball, tennis,golf, soccer, ping pong or whatever — you have thegun’riter spirit.Likewise, if your TV has never played any gameinvolving any of the above mentioned balls and you onlyhave a fuzzy idea as to what a Super Bowl is but yourDVD Library contains movies like Quigley Down Underand Band of Brothers then you are looking like goodgun’riter material.If a dinner conversation with a table full of friendscenters around the number of grease grooves on yourfavorite cast bullets, along with their shape, alloytemper and sizing diameters, you may be a boringindividual, but likely good gun’riter material.If you are at a gun show, gun store, or shootingmatch and loudly pronounceto your companions youhave all the guns you haveever wanted and then a fewminutes later they catch youshelling out money for a newgun, then you are most certainlygun’riter material. outShellingmoneyIf you wouldrather be castingbullets whileeveryone else iswatching the SuperBowl then you areprobably goodgun’riter material.more bullet moulds, powder, and primers, then you may begun’riter material.If in college you majored in journalism although youseldom read a newspaper, then you’re shaping up to be goodgun’riter material.If the college you attended mandated a student have aminimum 2.00 grade point average to graduate and you hada 2.10 average, and your friends still chide you for beingan overachiever, then you were probably heading down thegun’riter career road from the very beginning.If you met the perfect girl and decided to get married but hadto sell some guns to afford traveling to your own wedding, thenyou are getting close to becoming a gun’riter. That’s especiallytrue if over the next 30 or so years you never let her forget thesacrifice you made for her.If You’ve Ever …Thought having 200 pounds of pig lead ingots on thedining room floor is a good idea …If you’ve ever been excited buying a gun at a gunshow and when you get home you see you already haveone in your safe …You find yourself digging deep into your gun safe(safes?) and regularly saying, “Hey, I forgot I had this!” …If you find yourself saying, “But honey, 5,000 roundsof .308 isn’t enough!” …When you honestly think reading 35 year old GUNSMagazines — you bought on the newsstand 35 yearsbefore — is a really fun way to spend an evening …When you move you need to hire a 28 foot Pensketruck just to haul your ammo …If your desk is cluttered with hundreds of bullets andcartridges that you “need for photo props,” then it’s likelyyou are a gun’riter and a pretty good one.And lastly, if yourlast thoughts at nightbefore you fall asleepare about the shapeof the next cast bulletyou want to designand not about yourwife’s shape, thenit is likely you haveIf your desk is cluttered been a gun’riter forwith hundreds of bullets a long, long time.and cartridges that are used Maybe tooas photo props, then you long?*after all. may already be a gun’riter!26 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

The hold is the samefor auto or revolver.Clint uses the “Push-Pull” of both handswhen possible tohelp stabilize andcontrol the gun.REALITYCHECKClint SmithBackAndForthIgrewup with revolvers and eventhough everyone tells me they arearchaic I still like shooting them, andI never feel under-armed if I carry one.I like revolvers, and I especially like thebig ones. A reader asked if I had troublegoing from one type of action to theother so I thought I might give you anidea of what I carry, and why, and if Ihave any issues transitioning from autoto revolver — and back again.Clint feels transitioningfrom wheelguns toautos and back againis simply a matterof practice —simply do it.TMThe Pistol Hands-down, upfront I carry the 1911 full-sized gun. I haveand carry, but not all at once (or not all atonce most of the time) a Les Baer, JasonBurton, Dave Williams/Springfield, LukeVolkmann and a Wilson Combat. WhenI teach I use the Springfield because ofthe rail and its usefulness in the low-lightTerminator tactical runs. The Luke Volkmann1911 is on my nightstand with its X300light. The Jason Burton gun is as special asit’s very well done; and the Baer guns are asoft spot for me as the Baer shop has madegoing on 5,000 Thunder Ranch 1911s.HolSTErs I use a Milt Sparks55BN model of a Bruce Nelson IWB designS&W 325ThunderRanch.45ACPMdl. 327.38/.357MagnumFive Shot 327ankle rigFor holsters, thekey is qualityand consistency.FIRST-PERSONTHOUGHTS ONSURVIVING INTHE REAL WORLDand I have done so most of the last 30 years. I’ve used this style of holster more than any other type in mywhole shooting career. I have both rail and non-rail versions that are carried strong side, and are supportedby at least three to six magazines depending on, well, I don’t know what reasons. John Ralston of FiveShot Leather makes my newest custom holsters, with the exception of a few real special Mitch Rosen rigs.The Revolver Nowadays I carry a S&W 325 and/or Model 327 revolver. the 325 is a4" barreled gun made up from the Performance Center with no hammer spur and the trigger only worksin DA mode. the adjustable sight is replaced by a fixed rear, and the gold dot front sight is J-B Weldedinto the slot to keep the thing from falling out in active use. the 325 is a six-shot .45 ACP gun made up asthe thunder Ranch Special, and is carried in full moon clips mode with spare ammo the same.The 327 is the 8-shot revolver chambered in .38/.357 calibers which I use in two formats: a 5"barrel and a smaller 2" version I use as an ankle or pocket gun. the smaller gun has a bobbed hammerspur and the sights are the fixed kind. I carry the .38/.357 8-shot speed loaders because they arebetter than the cheesy moon things for the 8-shot guns. In the revolver mode I carry three to six speedloaders, more often favoring six simply because applying the system under duress I think I might dumpsome live ammunition by accident. We’re not always marvelous under stress.The Transition I don’t have a problem transitioning since I shoot both kinds ofguns almost everyday. I see no problem for the shooter other than staying current. Knowing one has adifferent kind of trigger, you simply need to train to your gun at hand.Carrying is no issue for me. Both types are basically carried in Summer Special holsters and theonly other option is an ankle holster for the revolver, and it’s most often a back-up gun. If a backupgun is carried I think it should be shot every time you go to the range. I try to shoot a cylinder or twothrough the back-up gun each time I go, mostly so I remember it’s in place.Loading/Spare Ammunition I always carry spare ammo on bothsides of the body in pouches or in both front pockets — just in case. The semiauto reloads with theleft hand and a revolver could be loaded with either, but I generally hold the opened cylinder revolverin the left hand and load with the right hand, but much of this is over-engineered. You actually shouldpractice loading with both hands.Transition Why? I transition from one type to another because I can. I can’tsay the concept is good for everyone, then again not everyone trains, and most people don’t train asmuch as they declare they do. Most people simply go to the range and shoot. Shooting is like qualificationsfor cops. Qualifications are not training, they are quals to punch an administrative ticket. training isanother category to develop, nurture and acquire skills. Understanding the difference between shootingand training might be more important than whether I carry a semiauto or a revolver. Bothtypes of guns are viable tools in the hands of trained people. And therein lies the rub, eh?For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlSpark’sSummerSpecialFiveShotLeatherIWBRosen IWB rig*28 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

PISTOLSMITHINGAlex HamiltonTHE INSIDE SCOOPON PISTOLSMITHINGTECHNIQUESDrop-in PartsMyth Or Magic?Right up front I have to tell you, as a custompistolsmith, I have no love for drop-in parts foreither pistols or revolvers, with the exceptionof a spring kit or two. However, even spring kitscan get the novice in dangerous trouble if he doesnot understand the mechanics and geometry of theinternal works. One excellent attribute of drop-insis they allow you to save a little money and helpyou sorta personalize your pistol with some minorgunsmithing. But always be sure there is a real lifegunsmith close by who can get you out of trouble.Just guessing here, but I would speculate the dropin1911 pistol grip safety is one of the top sellingdrop-in parts for any handgun. I am a huge fan of aproperly installed, graceful, functional Brown highrise grip safety. There are others, but I find them bigand bulky. Drop-in grip safeties like the one shownwill cut down on hammer bite from a long spurhammer, but as many of you have found out they arenot exactly drop-ins.The grip safety, when at rest, has an arm blockingthe rear of the 1911 trigger bow keeping it from contactingand disconnecting the sear from the hammer.When the safety is squeezed, the trigger block armmoves up and away from the trigger bow allowing thetrigger to push the sear off the hammer. If the triggerblock arm is too long it will have to be precisely fittedfor safety, but if it’s too short the safety will not workand will have to be welded and re-cut for proper fit.To test proper operation of your grip safety, pull thetrigger without pushing the grip safety in and watchthe hammer. If the hammer moves even the slightestthe grip safety is not doing its job and will have to beproperly fitted by a competent gunsmith. The “moneysaving” drop-in will end up burning up all the moneyyou believe you initially saved.A definite “danger zone” when it comes to drop-in bits.If you “install” a drop-in safety, conduct a check tomake sure it’s working. Read Alex’s article tofind out whatthat test is.A neatlyfitted gripsafety canbe a thingof beautyand highlyfunctional.MatchOr Not?Drop-in match barrels for the 1911 are a very popular item,but you must understand what a true match barrel isbefore spending those Ben Franklins. A true match barrelinternally is nothing more than a quality standard “run ofthe mill” barrel with internal dimensions cut to SAAMI specs.The bore is not tighter nor is the chamber any different than aregular barrel. It’s the outside dimensions that need to be fit,in order to create match grade performance. And it needs tobe perfectly fitted to eliminate all barrel movement when yourpistol is in battery.A drop-in match barrel will have only slightly oversizeexternal dimensions and will make the barrel lock up only“somewhat” tighter in battery. A drop-in must be looseenough to drop into all or most of the 1911s out there, so itwill never be able to give you the true match-grade accuracyshooters demand. The same facts apply to drop-in “match”bushings. If the bushing is so loose you can turn it with yourfingers, the loose tolerance translates to vertical stringing andmisses on the target.A drop-in thumb safety is where you will really get intotrouble, so be very careful when installing this importantpart. After installation push the safety into the safe positionand pull the trigger. If you see the hammer move or after thesafety is pushed off the trigger feels lighteryou have a serious safety problem andwill have to take your gat to a competentgunsmith for fixing.Use Your BrainDrop-in trigger jobs are sold by anumber of companies and normallyinclude a lighter sear spring, disconnector, hammer andsear. You will pay around $160 for the parts and will morethan likely end up taking your pistol to a quality gunsmith toget the creep out and sharpen the pull. To fine-tune the pullwill cost another $85 to $150, but the gunsmiths will reallyappreciate working with those new, high quality parts. If youare simply looking for a ten- or 20-percent better trigger thedrop-in kits could be your cookie, but always be careful inthis area if you flunked geometry.There are many drop-in parts you can install without creatinga safety problem or extra expense. Items such as some modelsof laser sights, scope mounts, rings and scopes, magazine wells,etc. are usually a safe bet. But even the mag wells need to beblended and fitted to the edges of the magazine opening so justbe careful how you spend your money on anything with theprefix “drop-in.” Be careful out there, don’t hurt yourselfand know when the job is beyond your skill level.*30 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

HANDLOADINGJohn TaffinSAGE ADVICEFROM THEHANDLOADINGGURUSRay Thompson: Bullet GeniusIn the middle years of the 20th century big bore sixgunners of these articles came from issues of the American Rifleman(those shooting revolvers chambered in .357 Magnum, .44 from the 1920s through the 1950s. In all of those articles I haveSpecial, .44 Magnum, .45 Auto Rim and .45 Colt) almost only found one reference to Ray Thompson the man.to a man used bullets designed by Elmer Keith and/or Ray That article dates back to 1943 and simply says he is gettingexcellent results with the .401 Boser, a wildcat cartridgeThompson. Jacketed bullets were not generally available toreloaders until well into the 1970s, so it was simply a matter which pre-dated the .401 PowerMag and .41 Magnum. Theof shooters either buying factory ammunition or casting their most information available, at least which I have found, is inown bullets. Lyman, Hensley & Gibbs, SAECO and other the 1958 Lyman Handbook of Cast Bullets. This is all it says:mold manufacturers did a brisk businesskeeping sixgunners shooting.well, both from the practical and“Ray Thompson knows a handgunOf the two men mentioned, Elmertheoretical sides. His work as aKeith is certainly the best known. InForest Ranger gives him amplefact we can find a mountain of informationabout him both biographicalgame as well as the time to solveopportunity to test his bullets onand autobiographical. Thompsondesigning and loading problems.”is just the opposite. Trying to findAnd that’s it. My friend Terrymuch about him is like trying to catchMurbach located Thompson’s son insmoke with a teaspoon. I have beenOhio several years ago, however hecollecting, clipping and saving oldeither knew little about his father orgun articles for nearly 50 years. Manydecided not to share it.Keith Wrong?Thompson’s great contribution isthe gas-check bullet. He did notoriginate the idea of gas checks,which are copper cups fitted on thebase of the bullet. We do know the gaschecked design goes back to the early1900s. The concept became Lyman’s,who patented the gas check in 1906.Elmer Keith had no use for gascheck bullets in sixguns and was bluntabout it. I have to disagree with Keithon this point, as I find gas check bulletsvery useful in sixguns. They areThompson’s #452490GC is anexcellent bullet for use in the.45 Auto Rim or the .45 Colt.Two classic .44bullets: ElmerKeith’s 250grain SWCcomparedto RayThompson’s255 grain#431244GC.Ray Thompson’ssuperb .45 bullet inthe .45 Auto Rim.almost necessary for full power loads inthe .357 Magnum and many .44 and .45sixguns simply shoot gas check bulletsmore accurately than plain base bullets.If I had only one bullet mold for the.357 Magnum it would be Thompson’s#358156; this was also Skeeter Skeleton’sfavorite .38/.357 bullet.Ray Thompson designed fourgas-check bullets for Lyman. Theyare #358156, #431215, #431244 and#452490. All are still offered by Lyman,however the two .44 bullets have hadthe 431 replaced by 429 in their nomenclature.The 1958 Lyman Handbook ofCast Bullets also contains Thompson’sthoughts on his bullets: “I designed thesebullets with gas checks primarily forthe elimination of leading in Magnumloads, with excellent accuracy both atlong range and target. Bullet 358156 isdesigned with two crimping grooves —the first groove for use in crimping the.357 Magnum and the second groove.357 MagicThompson’s .357 Magnum bullet isone of the very few cast bullets Ihave found to shoot well in botha sixgun and companion levergun. Imostly load it with 14.0 grains of #2400which gives 1,300 fps muzzle velocityin a 43/4" Single Action and nearlyfor crimping the .38 Special case,allowing more powder space using2400 powder for Magnum loads inheavy-duty guns. Bullet 431215 isa high speed bullet for long-rangeshooting. This bullet proved to havesuperior accuracy. The late Al Barrwrote that he had 11 consecutive shotsin less than a 2" sure call at 50 yardsusing armrests, backed by 21.5 grainsin old-style cases with this bullet inhollow-point style. Bullet 431244is the bullet I use on game such asboar, bear and timber wolves. Bullet452490 I have never really tried out,but shooters down in Texas wrote meit was just what the doctor orderedfor their Model 1950 S&W .45 AutoRim making clean kills at 100 yardson coyotes using armrests from topof car. Using these gas check bulletsone can’t go wrong, no matter whatyou use them for, plus eliminating ofleading when using hot loads.”1,500 fps in an 83/8" Smith & Wesson.With 22.0 grains of #2400 in the .44Magnum, the 255 grain #431244 willdo 1,475-1,575 fps depending uponbarrel length, and for the .44 Specialthe lighter 220 grain #431215 over 8.5grains of Unique achieves the samemuzzle velocity. If you have a sixgunthat simply won’t shoot well, or leadsup, or both, give Thompson’sgas check bullets a try.*32 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Recycle and save.START YOUR OWN BULLET FACTORY.Cast your own bullets and be assured of a reliable supply.A Lee Bullet Mold, Melter, Ladle and bottle of Lee Liquid Alox Lube are all you need to start your own bulletfactory, for about $80 retail. Casting bullets saves money and no one saves you more than Lee.Recycle scrap wheel weights,shooting range lead, evenlead pipe and flashing—Lee Precision Melter500 watt, energy savingdesign takes lessthan 15 minutesto melt 4 lbs. of metalLee Molds are available in the mostpopular shapes and are CNC machinedfor accurate size control—and in mostcases can be used without sizingSend $1.00 for your catalog full of reloading bargainswww.leeprecision.com Lee Precision, Inc. Dept 453 4275 Highway U Hartford WI 53027

Massad AyoobThe Homeowner and the Burglar:The Graham/Chambers ShootingSituation: You come home to find a burglar leaving yourhouse holding what you believe is a bag of yourloaded guns. He reaches into the gun bag andaccelerates his car toward you ... and you’rearmed with only a small single-shot firearm.Lessons:No one can be expected to outrun an onrushingautomobile. The most righteous shooting canbe twisted against the shooter … and sometimes,a single small-bore shot is enough if you put itin just the right place at just the right time.It’s Sunday, February 18, 2007, noonish, and Terry Graham, a man approaching hissenior citizen years, drives home alone from church to his ranch in southern SmithCounty outside of Tyler, Texas. As he pulls into the long driveway leading to his house,he comes to a stop: there is an unfamiliar Ford Taurus parked near the back door.It’s a troubling sight. Terry’s home has been burgled before. He considers calling 911,but from past experience he knows it will likely take half an hour for the first sheriff’sdeputy to reach this rural place. Besides, there’s a pond on his property, and he hasgiven various friends a blanket invitation to fish, swim and picnic there. It would beembarrassing all around to call the cops only to find an unexpected friend.Terry reaches for his cell and dials the number of Guy Osborn, his ranch foreman, wholives nearby. Guy doesn’t know anyone with a white Ford Taurus either. Terry asks ifGuy can meet him at the end of the driveway. And — almost as an afterthought, rememberingthe past burglaries — he asks Guy to bring a gun.Soon, Osborn arrives with his son Jason, 17. He has brought the only gun to which hehas ready access, a New England Firearms single-barrel, break-open .410 shotgun. It’sa single shot, of course, and the one shell it contains is marked Winchester, #7 birdshot.Guy’s car and Terry’s move up the driveway until they’re near the house where theypark and continue on foot.They see movement inside the home.Now, obviously, it’s time for 911. Terry tries to dial it, but can’t get through. Thephone’s internal records will later show why: he has accidentally punched 119 instead.ContactTerry can now see the back door of his house is open. Suddenly a stranger — anaverage-size white guy, maybe thirty-something — appears in the doorway. He’s holdingan overnight bag. Terry recognizes the bag instantly, it’s his, and he knows he keeps itin his bedroom beside two loaded handguns. If this man has the bag, Terry realizes, hemust also have the guns.There’s no time for the seemingly useless cell phone anymore. Terry Graham shoutsat the man to put his hands up and get down. Instead, the man reaches into the bag.Graham snaps a warning to the Osborns that he may have a gun. Continued on page 7834 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

TAFFINTESTSJohn TaffinThis trio of Taffin’s grandsons like tohelp Grandpa and he is doing hispart to introduce the young ones toshooting. Are you?Attention-GettingAffordable 1911sTop left clockwise,the Eagle, the1911-A1 andthe Hawk.THE SIXGUNNERHIMSELF: GUNS,GEAR AND MORESuperb group firedwith the Iver Johnson.45 Eagle.Taffin chose a pair of Leather Arsenalinside-the-pants holsters and the latestpaddle holster from Safariland.The Iver Johnson.45s are equipped withexcellent factory grips.Iver Johnson’sEagle and HawkOne of my favorite old western movies is from 1950 and is entitled The Eagleand the Hawk with John Payne as the hero and the excellent character actorThomas Gomez as the Hawk. Someone at Iver Johnson must also be a fanof old movies as they are now offering 1911s, two of which are named The Eagleand The Hawk, respectfully, along with a 1911-A1. Iver Johnson has been aroundsince 1883 and has been mostly known for low-cost, DA revolvers. Back in the1970s they were also importing Uberti Cattleman SA revolvers. I had their 71/2"Target Model Buckhorn in .357 Magnum and it was an excellent shooter.Very little has been heard from Iver Johnson in recent years, however they arenow part of the 1911 scene importing semiautos from the Philippines. I requestedand received all three versions: Eagle, Hawk and 1911-A1. All three of these werepre-production test guns so it was not surprising to find a problem or two. All threehave trigger pulls which are way too heavy for my tastes, ranging from 63/4 to 8pounds. This is not a major problem and easily fixed, but nonetheless, I was told itwould be fixed on production models.The major problem was with the sights. The problem was not the quality of thesights nor the style but rather how they were affixed to the Eagle and Hawk. Both rearsights, adjustable on the Eagle and fixed combat style on the Hawk, were fitted intodovetails. The first time each gun was fired the rear sights came off, that is, they slidright out of the dovetail. I took them to my gunsmiths, Mike and Tom at Buckhorn, andwith a little measuring they easily discovered the dovetail slot on the frame was notthe right size for the male counterpart on the bottom of each rear sight. They did somewelding on the dovetail slot to obtain a proper fit and also made a new, larger diameter,elevation adjustment screw for the rear sight on the Eagle. They now work perfectly!DifferencesThe Eagle starts as a basic 1911 and comes in twoversions, one with a matte finish and the other highpolish blue and my test gun is the latter. The sightsare excellent, with a fully adjustable rear sight mated upwith a post front sight. Both are serrated and the rear sightslopes to the rear while the front sight slopes to the front.Both the trigger and hammer are skeletonized. All the controlsare on the left side; the slide release and thumb safetyare both of the extended style. The safety is very easy towork and the magazine drops easily when the magazinerelease button is pushed. The Eagle, as the other two testversions, fed everything flawlessly and shot well with morethan typical accuracy. The Eagle retails for $657 in highpolish blue and $625 for the matte finish.The trigger pull on the Eagle measures 7 pounds. It wastest-fired with nine different loads with five shot groups at20 yards running from 13/8" to 23/4". The most accurate factoryloads were the Black Hills 230 FMJ at 825 fps,Cor-Bon’s 200 JHP+P, 998 fps and CCI Blazers with the200 JHP at 964 fps and the 230 FMJ at 892 fps. My all-timeContinued on page 8536 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Paste using Command-Fto place in the same position.Utilize “paste remembers layers” to maintathe layer names.With Shoot•N•C ® Targets,bullet holes explode in bright,easy-to-see chartreuse rings providingyou with instant feedback andeliminating the need to use binocularsor walk downrange. This revolutionarytechnology has made Shoot•N•C ®the #1 reactive target worldwide!• ADHESIVE BACKING makestargets easy to put up• REPAIR PASTERS cover bulletholes extending target life• USE INDOORS OR OUT• AVAILABLE IN A VARIETYOF DESIGNSTARGETSFor a free sampleand catalog visitbirchwoodcasey.comor call: 800-328-6156

COPTALKMassad AyoobActiveHearingProtectionFor PoliceSan Francisco cop Bill Langlois was most famous for hiswork as a decoy “victim” for muggers, leading to over250 felony arrests. However, his one fatal shooting inthe line of duty occurred when he was working uniformedpatrol. Pictures in his outstanding autobiography withJohn O’Connor, Surviving the Age of Fear (WRS Publishing,Waco, TX, 1993), indicate his uniform duty weapon was a 6"S&W revolver, worn in a Hoyt breakfront holster.The shooting went down in an apartment building’s stairwellas Langlois confronted a gunman who had opened fire onother officers and was now coming up on him with a handgun.Wrote Langlois, “We ended up firing simultaneously. I saw theorange light of muzzle flash and my training kicked in, tellingme that if I had lived to see that, the man’s bullet was alreadypast me. He was not as lucky. My bullet pierced his face justunder his right eye and he went down solidly into the staircase… he lay crumpled on the bottom stairs. As I watched, hisbody appeared to turn and when his gun started to come upagain, I fired twice more at him until he was still.”Continued Langlois, “My ears were ringing. The reportof two guns going off in the enclosed space of a concretestairwell had been like a bomb detonating just inches away. Ihave problems with the hearing in my left ear to this day as aresult.” (Langlois, pages 239-240.) The officer had been firing.357 Magnum ammunition.This hero cop was not the first one to suffer permanenthearing damage from a line of duty shooting, nor the last.Some years ago at a SureFire conference where the firmintroduced its then-new line of sound suppressors for tacticalfirearms, they said they had been convinced there was a needto fill there, because they were aware of many cases wherepolice officers had gone out on disability due to hearing lossfrom gunfire in the line of duty.Police chief Rich Eddingtonwears Dillon active muffsas he shoots the IllinoisState IDPA championshipwith Glock 34.The Pro Ears Gold unit is a top-of-the-lineactive hearing protection unit. Don’t skimpwhen it comes to your hearing.OPINION ANDFACTS FROM THEMEAN STREETSActive Hearing ProtectionActive hearing protection has been available fordecades. The best of these units amplify lowlevelsound, but reduce high-decibel noises. Thecheapest of them let you hear better than you couldthrough old-fashioned passive muffs or plugs, but cutout their amplification when hit by a sound wave.Go with the former type. The cutouts simplytake a certain number of dBs off the top of the givensound, while the high tech reducers bring the loudestpossible noise down to a manageable level, suchas 70 decibels or so — about what you’d hear with.38 wadcutter loads through regular muffs, in myexperience. I prefer mine binaural, rather than stereo.Stereo means you hear the same sound equally in eachear and it sounds as if it’s in the middle of your head, like agood headphone system for music. You can’t tell where thesound actually came from. Binaural means directional: youcan tell where the sound came from, and tactically, that canliterally mean life and death.I think they’re a must for firearms instructors. Over theyears, there have been range accidents where amplifiedmuffs would have allowed an instructor to hear the soundof someone fooling with a recalcitrant gun just beforeit negligently discharged, or the sound of a strugglingshooter muttering “damn thing” or something like that.Some of the old heads here can remember when themark of a longtime police firearms instructor was raisedvoices and hands cupped behind ears, because deafnesswas the occupational hazard. Hearing aids were practicallystandard issue for retired rangemasters. You see less of thattoday because of the better ear protection developed overthe years. You’d pull the muff cup away from your ear tohear a student/officer’s question, and a SWAT cop wouldlet go with his .308 a few feet away on the firing line. Yourears would ring for a few more days, and some of the losthearing wouldn’t come back. Active muffs have preventedthat, preserving both hearing and firing line careers.Duty UseTac teams used to use active muffs on operations morethan ever now. In the 1980s, when headgear was oftena ball cap or stocking cap, active muffs kept the SWATguys from suffering the same hearing stun as the suspects didfrom flash-bangs. Today, ballistic helmets are in vogue, and thatprecludes conventional active muffs, though similar technologycan be integrated with the helmets themselves.On patrol, I’ve long kept active muffs in my car. Deer hitby car has to be euthanized with department issue .223? Noproblem. Building search or manhunt in the woods? My oldGentex 1030A Wolf Ears let me hear tiny sounds that perfect,unassisted human hearing would miss. Yet Bill Langlois’volley of .357 Magnum fire in a narrow concrete stairwellwould cause no more problem than target loads on an indoorrange with regular muffs on through the Wolf Ears. Thismodel, sadly, is no longer manufactured, but there are lots ofgood active muffs on the market today. Mine will continueto be part of my on-duty kit as well as part of myrange gear. Give it some thought.*For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.html38 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

The Team Match II is chambered in both.45 ACP & 9mm. Slide & frame are machinedfrom stainless steel to exacting dimensions.Heavy MedalKimber. The Choice of the USA Shooting Team.Team Match II pistols feature an adjustable sight withpositive steel-on-steel clicks for match-winning accuracy,ambidextrous thumb safety & Premium AluminumTrigger that breaks clean at 4-5 pounds.USA Shooting Team logo grips, 30 lines-per-inch front strapcheckering, beavertail grip safety & extended magazinewell have a striking appearance and speed operation.www.kimberamerica.comFor information on products and dealerlocations please send $2 to:Kimber, Dept. 278One Lawton Street, Yonkers, NY 10705Information is also available at (800) 880-2418The Choice of America’s Best.©2010 Kimber Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved. Kimber names, logos and other trademarks may not be used without permission. Names of other companies, products and services may bethe property of their respective owners. Kimber firearms are shipped with an instructional manual and California-approved cable lock. Copy of instruction manual available by request.

CARRYOPTIONSSammy ReeseInternaTIonal Handgun LeatherThe Column That Almost Wasn’tOn a monthly basis, I’m introduced to one or two newholster makers. They may not be new to making holstersor working with leather, they are just new to me. Someare referred to me by friends and readers. Others track medown here at the FMG puzzle palace, also known as theworld headquarters. Often they are surprised I answer myown phone. The helicopter pad on the roof makes it difficultto hear the ringer sometimes, but I do my best. Roy prefersto fly into the office rather than drive these days. Who canblame him? It’s a pretty long commute from Missouri.I’m not sure exactly how I came to know of Ian Martin andhis company International Handgun Leather, but I’m glad ourpaths crossed. IHL has been around since 1994 making concealmentholsters and cowboy rigs. Ian and I traded e-mails andphone calls for a few days and decided to showcase two totallydifferent styles of holsters. We are both 1911 fans and I told himof my newest carry gun, the Kahr P45 (shameless plug). Youcan read the feature I wrote about the gun in the latest AmericanHandgunner Tactical Special Edition (another shameless plug).Almost Wasn’tAfter a few weeks had gone by and I hadn’t received theholsters, I called Ian. He told me the package showeddelivered two days prior. After some log checking, thepackage wasn’t delivered here. USPS was contacted by Ianand the investigation concluded the package was delivered tothe building across the street.My first attempt to find the package at the guitar manufacturingplant was frustrating. The “supervisor” of the shippingand receiving department was just a little bit high when wespoke (I’m a retired cop I know these things). “Dude, I’llhave to check around, can’t seem to find it right now.” Notwanting to crush his buzz, I told him I would be back in anhour “dude.” When I returned, the package had been foundand all was right in the world. I could hear the stress in Ian’svoice disappear when I told him the good news.FROM CLASSICS TOCUTTING EDGE INCARRY METHODSThe Executive Classic andbelt combo shows topqualityworkmanship.More Than I ExpectedI’m always excited when I open packages containingholsters. It’s a lot like Christmas morning only I’mlucky, it happens many times throughout the year.The Holster for the Kahr P45 is called the ExecutiveClassic, and it was accompanied by a vertical singlecarrier and a gunfighter belt. I chose tan for this rigbecause it’s my favorite color at the moment. And,the 1½" belt slots work best for me since I wear jeansalmost everyday.I always stress the belt is the most important partof the concealed carry system. I get calls from time totime about how certain holsters “don’t work.” My firstquestion is always “What kind of belt are you using?”I look at the belt like the foundation of a house. If it’ssolid and properly designed, the house will last foryears. If it’s made from poor material and not designedto carry the weight of the rest of the house, the structurewon’t last very long.The Gunfighter belt is designed from the groundup for the purpose of supporting holsters and magazinecarriers. IHL got this one right. The Kahr isn’tvery heavy to begin with, but it rode comfortably allday in the Executive Classic.SharkskinThe Combat Slide and matchingmag pouch held a ThunderRanch special easily.The sharkskin Combat Slide and accompanying sharkskinvertical carrier are designed to accept 1911 style pistolsfrom 3-5" and longer, I suppose, since the bottom of theholster is open.I wrote about my current favorite being simple tan leather holsters.Looking at and wearing the black sharkskin rig has caused meto change my mind some. The holster and mag carrier are beautifulto look at and functional as well. My full sized, all steel, ThunderRanch Special, Commander length Comanche and Officers modelall rode comfortably in the Combat Slide. If you have an addictionto the 1911 in all its shapes and sizes, the Sharkskin Combat Slideis the holster for you — many guns = one holster.If you’re as picky about your belts and holsters as I am, youwon’t be disappointed in the quality andcraftsmanship of the IHL products.*For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.html40 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

MEPROLIGHT.The right sightin any light.Meprolight ® night sight systems are 20% brighter thanother brands and backed by the strongest warranty inthe business. Fixed and adjustable sets are availabletactical shotguns.Different color combinations are offered for someare minor. A complete selection of Meprolight nightsights and optical sights are available from Kimber ® .Meprolight. If you can see the target, you can seeyour sights.Available fromKimber, Dept. 275One Lawton Street, Yonkers, NY 10705(800) 880-2418www.kimberamerica.comKimber and Kimber of America are registered trademarks of Kimber Mfg., Inc. All other companyand product names may be trademarks of their respective companies. ©2010 Kimber Mfg., Inc.

WINNINGEDGEDave AndersonSOLID ADVICETO KEEP YOUAHEAD OF THECOMPETITIONGlocken-TextureThe Glock RTF (Rough Texture Finish, get it?)is a recent version of the tremendously popularGlock design. The grip frame carries a fine stipplingdesign and the slide has a different pattern forthe cocking serrations. Long-time Glock fans willprobably consider the changes primarily cosmetic,and they will be right. There are no changes in constructionmaterials, operating features or controlsLeft, my 2 for the very good reason none were needed. Glocknd generation Glock22, right, the Glock 22 RTF. got those features right the first time.Main differences are in the Actually over the last quarter-century the 1911grip frame, RTF also has thehas changed more than the Glock has. It used toaccessory rail and a smoother,be routine to buy a “base” 1911 and immediatelybetter looking slide finish.send it to a pistolsmith for custom work — throatbarrel, polish feedramp, lower ejection port, do trigger job, bevel mag well, checkerfrontstrap, add high-visibility sights, beavertail grip safety, extended thumb safetyand the rest. Many modern 1911s have such features out of the box.I can recall back in the 1960s and 1970s when some writers and officers beganpushing for autopistols over revolvers. Much was made about revolvers being obsolete,holding too few rounds, slow to reload and hard to shoot with their long, heavytrigger pulls. It seemed the way to promote autopistols was to sneer at revolvers.GlockNoticesThe Glock people seemed tounderstand something othersoverlooked — cops didn’t hatetheir revolvers. Cops didn’t stick withrevolvers out of blind conservatism,or because they were unaware ofautopistols. They stuck with revolversfor very good reasons. The revolver was simple to operate, evenunder the pressure of extreme stress, simply a point-gun, pulltriggerthing. And, it was reliable, even with the hollowpointbullets which were catching on in the 1970s.As for the long, heavy trigger pull; as the software techies say,that’s not a bug, it’s a feature. Match shooters and hunters likelight, crisp triggers. The purpose of our pistols is to shoot. Thepurpose of the law enforcement handgun is threat management.It will be used under the most extreme stress, with adrenalinelevels high, reducing fine motor skills. It needs a pull whichrequires a deliberate, conscious decision to fire.Shortcomings? Cops would have liked more than six roundsin the gun, and faster reloading should the gun run dry. But notif it meant giving up what they already had. So, Glock gave thelaw enforcement community what it wanted. Glocks are easy tooperate — point-gun, pull-trigger. The Safe Action trigger is abit different in feel from a DA revolver but also requires a long,relatively heavy pull. With a tough rust-resistant finish Glocks are easy to maintain.Most important of all, Glocks quickly earned a reputation for reliability.Finally, by using modern manufacturing techniques, keeping profit margins perpistol low and counting on volume sales to provide an investment return, Glockwas able to make their pistols affordable. Glock pistols, in terms of performanceand quality for the price, are an amazing bargain.The double actionrevolver, such asthe S&W M&P in thebackground was the quintessentialpolice sidearm ofthe 20 th century. The Glock22 is currently the mostpopular police handgun.The LaserLyte RL-1fits the rear sightdovetail notch ofGlock slides.RTF Meets RL-1Functionally, the RTF is the wellprovenGlock design. If you havea recent Glock with the accessoryframe rail there’s not much need toupgrade. If you’re looking for a newGlock, I definitely like the RTF features.The grip frame is very secure, thecocking serration pattern works fine andesthetically, the slide finish is smootherand to my eye more attractive.The RTF proved 100-percent reliable(big surprise). It was also a bitmore accurate than my older Glocksin .40 S&W. Groups (five rounds/25yards) were consistently less than4" with an average closer to 3". Thetrigger pull was smooth and consistentat just over six pounds, andoverall, a worthwhile upgrade of aproven classic.The Glock shown wears theLaserLyte RL-1 rear sight. It seemsincredible LaserLyte was able to packso many features into such a smallpackage. The RL-1 incorporates anadjustable laser unit, battery pack,switch (off, continuous on, pulsatingon), and conventional notched rearsight. Installation is a simple matter ofremoving the standard Glock sight andtapping the RL-1 in. Move the sightlaterally while sighting in until windageis adjusted, then lock it in place withthe Allen screw. Once the open sight isadjusted, use fine Allen screws on thelaser unit to get it aligned.The RL-1 impressed me as a wellmade, quality product. It adds nothingto the weight or bulk of the gun, yetprovides the advantages of laser aimingat the push of a button. Battery life isestimated at one hour (continuous), ortwo hours (pulsating). Obviously youcan’t leave it on all the time, but the“on” button is easy to reach. It’s about$200 at MSRP.With practice it could become aseasy to use as the gun is being drawnand raised as snicking a safety off.More importantly, being essentiallya “back-up” sighting system, youwould turn it on as needed. I haven’tshot it enough to comment on longtermreliability but it’s functionedperfectly so far for300+ rounds.*For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.html42 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

BETTERSHOOTING Dave AndersonAssociateWith WinnersWant to be a better shot? Hangout with good shooters. Practicewith good shooters. If Ihad a young shooter to train, the firstthing I’d look for is tough competition.Back in 1983 Rob Leatham, then22 years old, came seemingly out ofnowhere to win the US Nationals. Ofcourse even though he wasn’t knownnationally at the time he really didn’tjust suddenly appear and start winning.He had already been competing ata high level for several years, mainlyagainst shooting partner Brian Enos.Leatham and Enos spent virtually alltheir free time training. If they weren’treloading they were shooting, and whenit got too dark to shoot they’d find acoffee shop and talk shooting.They took nothing for granted. Everyshooting technique or theory was tested.It made no difference if some techniqueor stance had been used by a previouschampion. Arizona then (as now) hada lot of really good shooters. By 1981Enos and Leatham were trading wins,finishing one-two in every match.Brian told me, “Some time in 1982Rob seemed to take it up a notch. I justcouldn’t beat him anymore. He totallydominated in competition. He didn’tjust win every match — he won everystage of every match.”During the remainder of the 1980sand early 1990s Enos wonnational titles at the Masters, theBianchi Cup and the Steel Challenge.Leatham won Bianchi and theSteel Challenge in 1985, but concentratedon USPSA/IPSC shooting wherehis incredible record is unparalleled.Here he found another tough competitor— Jerry Barnhart.From 1983 through 1992 (the lastyear in which all firearm types competedtogether) Leatham and Barnhart dominatedthe Nationals. Some of their duelsare legendary, with the margin of victoryhanging on a single shot, a fraction of asecond. It seemed they were competingin a world of their own. Over the tenyearspan Leatham won six Nationals,Barnhart three. There was only one otherchampion, Todd Jarrett (1991).Shooters talk about how many titlesBarnhart would have won if it hadn’tbeen for Leatham, or vice versa. PersonallyI think the rivalry between themwas a major factor in their success.Leatham once told me (I’m paraphrasing),“There were lots of goodshooters back then, and at every Nationalsthe odds were some of them would havetrained and be prepared to win. But withJerry there was never any doubt. I knewJerry would be ready. I knew I’d haveto train hard, be prepared physically andmentally. I knew I couldn’t slack off inJerry Barnhart (L) andRob Leatham at the 1991Steel Challenge shootoff.Shooters hadto knock a canoff a post, thendraw and engagetargets. Look howevenly they arematched.Nice hats guys. Rob Leatham (L)and Jerry Barnhart dominatedUSPSA National matches for years.The intense competition betweenthem made both better. This photomust be from the late 1980s as Jerryis still sponsored by SpringfieldArmory (he later moved to Colt).training, because Jerry wouldn’t. I’m sureJerry was thinking the same thing. Wemade each other better.”I doubt Leatham and Barnhart evertrained together, except maybe forWorld Shoots. They lived in differentparts of the country, plus they are verydifferent personality types. But betweenthem is a deep mutual respect, a sharedknowledge of hard work and commitment,of knowing how it feels to doyour best, win or lose. Maybe onlyBarnhart knows how great Leatham wasin those days, and only Leatham knowshow great Barnhart was.Not Book-Learned The Don’t Equation*Physical skills are best performedwhen they are so ingrained theybecome subconscious. The subconsciousis learned by seeingand by doing. Ever teach a kid to ride abicycle? You don’t say, “Here’s a goodbook on how to ride a bike.” You teachby showing how it’s done, then lettingthem try it. We see what we want done,and by repetition train the neural pathscontrolling the muscles until it becomesa subconscious skill.Here’s the thing about mentalimages — we don’t recognize negatives.The mind accepts whatever it sees orwhatever pictures you compose for it.Suppose I tell you to think of a purplemonkey in a tree eating green bananas.Or I do the opposite and say, whateveryou do, don’t think of a purple monkeyin a tree eating green bananas. In eithercase the mental picture is the same.We might watch someone shoot and at a conscious level decide“good” or “bad” but the subconscious just watches. It pictureswhatever it sees or whatever mental image we present to it. Howmany golfers have thought, “I don’t want to screw up. I don’t want to slicemy drive into the lake.”The subconscious doesn’t get the “don’t” part. So we go to the tee with theimage of failure firmly pictured in our mind, and the subconscious obedientlycarries out the steps required to hit the dreaded slice.If you’re going to watch other shooters, may as well watch ones who aregood. Top shooters think differently in a lot of ways. Average shooters trainat things they are already good at, doing things they like over and over. Topshooters work on things they still have to learn. Average shooters think “I can’tdo that.” Top shooters think, “I can learn to do that.”Average shooters pack up and go home when weather conditions get tough.Top shooters think, here’s an opportunity to see how well I can shoot in theheat, or the cold, or the rain. When bad conditions occur in a match, and theywill, top shooters know they’ve done it before.Top shooters don’t make excuses. Average shooters have their excuses madebefore the contest even begins. In shooting, or in golf, or in life, ifyou want to be a winner associate with winners.44 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

THE SIXGUNNERJohn TaffinFNP-40The FNP-40 acceptsthe Streamlight M6Xcombination tacticalflashlight and redlaser sight.Rapid firetargets shotwith theFNP-40.FNH American-StyleSince the 1990s, the .40 S&W hasbeen the cartridge of choice formany law enforcement agenciesand has been chambered in virtuallyevery 9mm-sized semiauto includingthe Browning Hi-Power. The latest .40S&W is from the American counterpartof the first company to offer theBrowning Hi-Power 9mm, which is alsoknown as the P-35, since it arrived in1935. Fabrique Nationale, or FN, wasthat original manufacturer and has longbeen known for quality products. TheAmerican version of Fabrique Nationaleis FN HERSTAL located in Virginia, andthis new semiauto pistol is the FNP-40.FN HERSTAL is owned by theHERSTAL Group, which also ownsBrowning and Winchester. It was HER-STAL which pulled the plug on the Winchesterplant in New Haven a few yearsback, however they have redeemedthemselves by now producing the WinchesterModel 70 once again. This isnot a Japanese-manufactured rifle butrather comes from the HERSTAL FNHplant in Columbia, South Carolina. Winchestershave been produced under severalnames in my lifetime, however thecompany name is now back to the originalWinchester Repeating Arms Company,as it was nearly 150 years ago.Integral Grip FrameThe FNP-40 joins the long list ofpolymer pistols with an integral gripframe. With the 4" steel barrel and slidethe resulting unloaded weight is justunder 27 ounces with an empty magazine;with a full magazine of 14 roundsthe actual carry weight is right at 35ounces. The molded polymer grip frameControls found on the left side of theFNP-40: takedown lever, slide lock,de-cocker, and magazine release.provides a very secure gripping surface,with checkering molded into the frontand back straps coupled with stipplingon both sides. Not everyone has the samelength fingers nor the same subjectivefeeling of what the shape of the backstrapshould be. To address these differences,Continued on page 97Typical groups firedwith the FNP-40.The FNP-40 was fired with a variety of .40 S&W factory loads.46 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

FMG AmericanHG.ai 10/7/08 8:51:25 AMThe Future of Pepper DefensePepperBlaster is better than ordinary pepper sprays. With arevolutionary delivery system, PepperBlaster fires two powerfulblasts of penetrating pepper solution.Effective range is 13 feet and PepperBlasterincapacitates an assailant – human oranimal – for up to 45 minutes.PepperBlaster is ideal for college students,joggers, commuters, pet owners andanyone who refuses to be a victim.Faster • Easier • SaferKimber, Dept. 229.One Lawton StreetYonkers, NY 10705(800) 880-2418See it in action atwww.pepperblaster.comCaution: Strong irritant. Keep out of reach of children. May be unlawful to own orpossess in some states or jurisdictions. Use for any purpose except lawful self defensemay be punishable by imprisonment, fines or both. Guardian Angel protected by U.S.Pat. 6,951,070B2. Copyright ©2008, Kimber, Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved.

A Swenson Tribute GunWhich is which?Roy’s originalSwenson is attop while John’s“Tribute” Swensonrests under it. Theheritage is obvious,and John capturedthe look and feel ofthe original, whileupdating some ofthe technology.Below: The originalcheckered Colt gripson John’s Tributegun (right), squaredtrigger guard andclassic hard chromeand S&W sightsharken back todays in Fallbrook,California inSwenson’s shop.Roy’s originalSwenson ison the left.Roy HuntingtonPhotos: Joe NovelozoIn 1975 I was at an early regional IPSC-typematch in Oceanside, California. The lineupof shooters could only be considered “colorful”in the most literal sense of the word.From one shooter competing with an originalBroomhandle Mauser auto to another gentwith a Model 29 S&W .44 Mag, shooting fullpowerloads from a home-made cross-draw rig, wewere, um, uh … ground-breaking? I had a Colt GoldCup in a Bianchi X-15 shoulder rig and felt quitecutting edge. Then I met Armand.I spotted this older gent hanging around the opentrunk of his car in the parking lot, and he had a fewcustom 1911s on-hand for us to look at. I had onlyread about custom guns in gun magazines but had neveractually seen one. After introducing himself as ArmandSwenson, we chatted at length, as he let me look at his pistols.At that precise moment, my life changed.I knew I was holding something special in my hands andhad little idea it would drive my enthusiasm for guns of all48 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 2010• MARCH/APRIL 2010

On The Shoulders Of GiantsAlmost too much forthe eye to behold. Canyou tell which is which?The modified King gripsafety, squared triggerguard and “Commander”hammer give John’sTribute Swenson(left) away.The original Swenson1911 (right) showcasescutting-edgework for the late1970s and early1980s. Both gunsfeature the Swensontop-strap texturing.Swenson’s vintage “barrel positioner” (shown here on theoriginal version) “forced” the barrel into a consistent lock-upposition for each shot — after Swenson had welded-up andre-fitted the hood and lower lugs! Today’s ‘smith might simplyuse a match barrel and carefully fit it.types in many directions. I also realized I couldn’t ever affordone then. How silly I was. I should have sold my Gold Cup tothe next person walking by and put a deposit down. But alas,the innocence (stupidity?) of youth prevailed, and I walkedaway in a daze, and it took me years to get even a bit wiserabout such things.Fast-forward 30 years (where did they go, anyway?) and Ifound myself editor of American Handgunner. Who says fatedoesn’t favor the ridiculous? A reader sends me a note askingif I knew of anyone looking for an original Swenson he hadfor sale; something he had ordered in the early 1980s justbefore Swenson died, but had never even fired it. Do I have toContinued on page 92WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 49

Handgun Ammo:More Flavors than The CandyPalace—and better in a gunfightthan a gooseberry gum drop!Right and bottom of page: Hornady’sTAP and FPD cartridges haveearned awards from the industryand praise from users, whoasked “Can it get betterthan this?” Hornadyresponded with these newCritical Defense rounds, loadedwith their hard-hitting patented FTXslugs. Check that “mushroom farm” atright, okay? Nickel cases and low-flashpropellants are just icing on the cake —or on the mushrooms, whatever …There are a lot ofTaurus Judge revolversout there, and agrowing number ofBond Arms Rangerderringers too.While lots of outfitsmake decent .45 Coltrounds for ’em,Federal Premiumis the only makerI know producing.410 gauge shotshells specifically for handguns — and making themup to Federal’s Premium Personal Defense standards. Take your choiceof two loads: one-half ounce of #4 shot, which oughta be one ferocioussnake-shredder, or four pellets of 000 buck, sufficient to ruin any badguy’s day. Powerful medicine indeed.John Connorthe Golden Age of fill-in-the-blankmay be a trite cliché, but if this ain’tthe Golden Age of Handgun AmmoI will eat my cap, yours and CaptainBob’s too. Just lookin’ at the arrayof high-performance and specializedammo for almost any application canresult in a severe case of cartridge conflict,but the good news is, almost any choice youmake among the premium products will bean excellent one.For example, let’s say you’re lookingfor low-penetration reduced-ricochet homedefense ammo: frangible rounds abound,50 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

and virtually all of ’em deliver maximumterminal effect; selective but super-effective.In general purpose self-defense loadsyou’ll want adequate penetration throughheavy clothing, auto glass and assorted barriermaterials while retaining mass and reliableexpansion. Again, your choices aremany and varied, and the science involvedin their designs is stunning.Concerned about the capability ofyour Ruger LCP or Kel-Tec P-3AT? MikeRintoul at Grizzly Cartridge just developeda .380 ACP round which reliably expands to2.2"! You finally went to a Cowboy Shoot,got crazy and bought four single-actions infour different calibers including a .45 Schofield?Not to worry; Jeff and Kristi Hoffmanat Black Hills have the finest-shootin’frontier ammo in all your favorite flavors.Hunting heavy hogs with a .44 Magnum?What Randy Garrett doesn’t know aboutpower and penetration would fit in a .22’shollowpoint, and he puts it all into his GarrettCartridge Hammerheads.You’ll find these and more below —and then you tell me if I oughta be butterbastingmy ball cap, okay?Connor OUT.*For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.html and click on WebBlast on the homepage for more ammo ideas!Speer Gold Dot rounds, below, are a top choice for both cops and citizens, offering all-around superiorperformance plus this bonus: lower-priced Speer Lawman training ammo, top, is matched to its brotherGold Dot loads in recoil and shooting characteristics —a great combination!If you’re a hardcore handgun hunter,you already know about GrizzlyCartridge and their great game loads.After more than a year of development,Grizzly Xtreme Personal Self-DefenseAmmunition will be available beforethis issue hits print. Featuring radicallyexpanding bullets like that “fan blade”image on the front of the box — I’ve seen the recovered slugs! — and 100-percent weight retention,these are some astounding rounds. Would you believe 1.95" expansion of a .44 Special firedfrom a Charter Arms Bulldog at 850 fps? Yup.You’ll find more about Garrett’s game loads for the .44 Magnum round on WebBlast, but just in case you contemplate defending yourself against dirtbags, DodgePower Wagons, small to medium dinosaurs or the Devil himself, you’ll want to checkout Randy’s mighty .44 Mag Defenders. their 310-gr. “SuperHardCast” rounds comezippin’ out of a 4" revolver at 1,020 fps and hit like bricks. Now, Randy Garrett saysthey have “modest recoil,” and I believe him. But “modest” is a very relative term.If you shoot a .40 S&W — and I hear maybe nine or ten of you do — youmight wanta know you can now stock up on Winchester Supreme Elite BondedPDX1 ammo, the same rounds selected by the FBI as their primary duty ammunition,in .40 S&W. Extensivelytested against real-world standards,the PDX1’s six-segment jacketand bonded coreperformed superblyfor the FBI’sevaluators, andit will for youtoo. Availablein 9mm, .40,.45 ACP and.38 Special.Check ’em out.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 51

Black Hills 230 FMJs in the ColtGovernment Rail Model .45 ACPgave pleasing groups.Ride With Us As We Return ToThose Golden Days Of Yesteryear...An old familiarbelow, and the“modern” ColtRail Model.The Black Hills 230 was a particularfavorite of the brushed stainless steelColt Government Model .45 ACP.Black Hills 130 FMJs in the Colt Custom.38 Super nailed the target neatly.Who says a .38 Super can’t shoot?John found the ColtCustom .38 Super tobe a tack-driver.John TaffinColt ’ sComebackThe name of the author and even the Cadillac of Colt Revolvers, thethe gist of the story have Python were dropped. The semiauto .22escaped me over the past Woodsman Match Target disappeared,half-century, but I well as well as the .22 single action sixguns,remember the title of the and even production of the New Frontierended in the early 1980s.article which appearedin our sister publication, Colt management had its ups andGUNS, in the late 1950s. It was “Can downs, and the few handguns whichColt Come Back?” Over the passing were left quite often simply did notyears we have all seen Colt’s catalog live up to the legendary Colt name. Byshrink as such familiar revolvers as the time they were down to only producingthe Single Action Army, the 1911the Official Police, Match Target,Detective Special, Cobra, Diamondback,King Cobra, Anaconda, and if they would survive; and thenand the Python, many of us wonderedeven52 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Both Colt 1911s tested have flat mainspring housingsand long triggers, however notice the difference in sights,hammers, grip safeties and grip panels.John snicked the Insight weaponlight on the rail-Colt with noproblems. A great homedefense set up.the Python disappeared. I kept thinkingof the old question, “Can Colt ComeBack?” To really compete Colt wouldhave to produce Single Actions as good,or better, than the replicas being offered,and also recapture some of the 1911market which had filled up with dozensof manufacturers. For too many years itwas difficult to even reach a live bodyat Colt. I am happy to report everythinghas changed; and the answer to the questionis not only is it possible for Colt tocome back, they have come back.That JourneyThe trip back has not been shortnor has it been easy. It began back inthe 1990s when retired General WilliamKeys became CEO. Many of usdisagreed with his decisions, howeverone thing now apparent is he has placedexcellent people in key positions. Peoplewho are not only available to speakwith, they are also committed to puttingthe Colt focus back on handguns — highquality handguns which can competewith anything else being offered.Someone once said the best manfor the job is usually a woman. Thatcertainly seems to be true at Colt. The“man” who is second in command isJoyce Rubino, Colt’s Vice President ofOperations, and one who is dedicatedto producing the best possible handguns.To this end she has replaced muchof the machinery in order to bring thequality up to the Colt standard. Qualityis number one with her and it shows inthe first test guns I have received. Therewill be more forthcoming as I cover virtuallyeverything Colt is now offering.One of the questions I posed to Joycewas whether or not Colt would producea double action revolver again, and ifso would it be one of the older designsor something new. She informed methey are researching double action productionnow and if they do go backto making double action sixguns theirresearch will determine whether it willbe a resurrection, or something totallyJohn alwayswanted a nickel.38 Super but is quitehappy with his polishedstainless steel Colt Custom.38 Super. As he says, “Thisone ain’t going back!”WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 53

Colt 1911 .45swith leather byBob Mernickle.John feels thisclassic stylingof Bob’s holstersgoes well with theclassic “real” Colts!Standard andenhanced modelscompared: The GovernmentModel .45 and theGovernment Rail Model .45are both brushed stainless steel.new, so stay tuned.A second “real” person I have correspondedwith at Colt both by phoneand e-mail is Jeff Radziwon, who isColt’s Marketing Supervisor. All of thearticles you’ll be seeing on differentColt models began with Mike Reissig,another member of the team, who isalso part of Colt’s Marketing Department.Jeff tells me while they hold thetraditional 1911s in highest regard theyare also eager for me to see what is newand vibrant at Colt. He is very optimisticabout the capabilities within Colt andexpects 2010 to be a record-breakingyear; actually another record-breakingyear, as things are going very well atColt thanks to their new direction.We will start by looking at several ofColt’s 1911s, followed later by some oftheir newer semiauto offerings and alsothe Colt Single Action Army. I will justadd here the single actions now comingout of Colt are as good, or better, thanany of the Classic Colt Single Actionsoffered during the height of productionof the Pre-War First Generation (1873-1940) and Post-War Second GenerationSingle Actions (1955-1974).Happy Birthday 1911We are fast approaching the 100thAnniversary of the Colt 1911. JohnBrowning was the genius behind the1911, which started with the .45 Modelof 1905, followed by the 1910 Model,and then the final version. If any pistolcan be called legendary it’s definitelythe Colt 1911, the fabled GovernmentModel. It was designed to provide thepower of the .45 Colt of the SingleAction Army in a modern semiauto. Itnot only succeeded, it served as a standardmilitary sidearm for more than 70years and many wish it still was. It’s thenumber one .45 for bull’s-eye shooting,has been customized by more gunsmithsthan any other handgun, produced bymore manufacturers than any othersemiauto and was chosen by the lateCol. Cooper as the best fighting handgunever devised. Even in the age of thepolymer pistols, with so many superbexamples being offered, the basic 1911Government Model is still number one.From 1911 until, I would guesssometime in the 1970s, Colt was theonly producer of the GovernmentModel. It served the military in twoWorld Wars, Korea and Vietnam, andcustom gunsmiths tuned and tweakedthe standard military model, which wasdeliberately designed somewhat looseto always function.Today we have a long list of customgunsmiths as well as manufacturersturning out superb 1911s; this is whatColt has to compete with. The goodnews is they are doing it! I recentlyreceived three test 1911s directly fromColt and as one who is not always54 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

easily impressed, I must say I am definitelyimpressed. My first handling ofthese guns revealed them to be verywell put together, with a tight slide toframe fit, yet at the same time operatingvery smoothly. So, let’s take a closerlook at today’s Colt 1911s.New GunsMost shooters are familiar with thestandard exterior safety features of the1911 — the grip safety (which mustbe depressed by the hand before theColt will fire) works along with thethumb safety (which locks the sear inthe cocked position and won’t allowthe hammer to fall). In addition tothese there is also an internal safetystop on the hammer which is designedto engage the sear should the hammerbe accidentally/negligently allowed tofall forward as it is being cocked; thisalso prevents any type of uncontrolledautomatic fire. There is also a disconnector,which is designed to present anypossibility of the pistol firing unless around is fully chambered and the slideis completely forward.The firing pin is shorter than itshousing and is held to the rear by a springand can not protrude through the faceof the slide unless a hammer blow overcomesthe spring force and the inertiaof the pin. There is also a firing pin lock(on Series 80 guns) which minimizesthe possibility of an accidental/negligentdischarge if the pistol should be droppedor receives a sharp blow to the muzzle.Basically all this makes a single actionsemiauto as safe as possible.Government Model .45 ACP Series80: With all the changes and customfeatures added to the 1911 over the pastnearly 100 years there is still nothingwrong with the standard GovernmentModel having no bells or whistles.Holding this pistol in the hand is likebeing transported back in time, withthoughts of the American ExpeditionaryForce, the doughboys of World War I,and General Blackjack Pershing.There are, of course the internalsafety features, and this particular modelis of brushed stainless steel instead ofContinued on page 1001911 Stainless SteelLoad MV 5 Shots/20 Yds MV 5 Shots/20 YdsBlack Hills 230 JHP 871 17/8 851 13/8Black Hills 230 JHP +P 971 1 960 11/4CCI Blazer 230 FMJ 864 2 836 2CCI Blazer 200 JHP +P 972 21/8 961 13/4Cor-Bon 200 JHP +P 1,040 17/8 1,055 7/8Federal 230 Hydra-Shok 884 11/8 889 7/8Hornady 185 JHP XTP 958 15/8 982 11/4Remington 185 JHP 1,049 21/2 1,038 13/8Speer Gold Dot 230 JHP 840 15/8 860 13/8Winchester 230 JHP 976 21/4 944 11/2.38 Super Custom 1911 High Polish Stainless SteelLoad MV 5 Shots/20 YdsBlack Hills 130 FMJ 1,231 13/4Cor-Bon 125 JHP +P 1,400 15/8Cor-Bon 125 DPX +P 1,313 13/8Cor-Bon 115 JHP +P 1,504 11/2Cor-Bon Pow’RBall 100 1,651 11/2Winchester 130 FMJ +P 1,146 2Winchester 125 SilverTip 1,170 15/8The Colt Government Model was testfiredwith an assortment of factoryloads and we had no troubles.1911 StainlessSteel Rail ModelCHART(*groups in inches)Safety locking holsterby Bianchi.Excellent combatstyle rear sightfound on the ColtGovernment RailModel .45 ACP.Guide rods? We don’tneed no stinkin’guide rods!Beltslide byGould &Goodrich.Period style holsterby Old WestReproductions.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 55

Massad AyoobGlockPhotos: Chuck Pittman, Inc.56 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Quest For PerfectionWhen the Glock 17 pistolfirst came out in theearly 1980s, it had asmooth, sleek grip configuration.It looked likea muted cobblestonesurface. Some shootersfound that in rapid fire,or with slippery hands, it could shift alittle in their grasp. Before the decadewas out, Glock had replaced this firstgeneration grip treatment with a Gen 2format that had “grenade grip” checkeringmolded in, front and back, and amore textured side surface. In the 1990s,finger grooves were added, replacingthe first two generations. This was Gen3, and when it was subsequently combinedwith an accessory rail molded intothe dust cover of the frame, it becameknown to Glock enthusiasts as Gen 3.5.Now comes Gen 4, the RTF (RoughTextured Frame) motif, introduced in2009. Actually looking more like Gen1 than anything else at first glance, itfeels totally different in the hand. Thefinger grooves are still there — but onfrontstrap, backstrap, and both sides, thegrip surface is festooned with tiny studsGlock calls “polymids.” These bite intothe grasping surface of the hand like,well, like studded snow tires digging intosnowpack on a northern winter road.It’s tough to describe, but you canfeel it yourself by simply picking up anRTF Glock 22 (or Glock 17, the twomodels out at this writing, in .40 S&Wand 9mm respectively) in your favoritegun shop. Before you leave the counteror put the RTF back, ask to see an identical-sizedGlock with the Gen 3 grippattern. Hold each firmly in your dominanthand, and then slap the front ofthe slide sideways with your free hand.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 57

58 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

GlockWWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 59

Unless your hand is stronger than mine,you’ll feel the Gen 3’s grip-frame moveslightly within your grasp. With Gen 4,the RTF, it won’t move as much, if at all.Granted, most of a gun’s movementin recoil is front to back, but there is alittle torque in the recoil pattern, especiallyin one-handed shooting. I have tosay — a subjective judgment, of course— the RTF simply stays put better.Like A RockIt sits even more solidly in my handthan a Gen 3 Glock with skateboardtape, or the more sophisticated Tac-Grip,applied to the grip surface. Yet in carrying,it’s less uncomfortable againstbare skin. I tried it inside the waistband,under an untucked shirt, and while therewas mild discomfort, it was not enoughto make me stop carrying it for the day.A week might have been different. Moresensitive skin? That might have been adifferent outcome, too. I find the skateboardtape stuff much more abrasiveagainst my unshielded side in deep concealment.If I was going to carry the gunnext to bare skin, I’d stay with my Gen 3G22. If I was buying the gun to competewith, though, or for uniform duty carry,the RTF would definitely get my nod.Carry in other manners raises otherquestions. Uniform duty holster?No problem. Concealed carry, with ashirt between me and the gun? With anEOTAC concealment vest, those littlepolymid nubs didn’t catch the fabric atall. Under the light tee shirt, though, theyoccasionally caught the fabric enough tomake the shirt rise up a little. Originalopinion confirmed: Okay for regular concealedcarry, but not first choice under atee shirt against bare skin.Left, from top:Gen 1, 2 and3/3.5 Glockgrip-frames.Right: Glock22 RTF.Photo: Ayoob60 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

In shooting, there was just no movementof the pistol within the grasp at all.Recoil moved the gun and hand together,without the grip-frame shifting withinthe shooter’s hold. A lot of the beta testersI recruited thought after grasping it,“Ooh, this is gonna hurt when it goesoff,” but it simply didn’t. The reasonfor that, I suspect, is the very fact it’snot moving within the grasp and thereforenot doing any rasping or abrading.Our testers were all using firm grasps:there’s a possibility it will start tomove and scrape a little if the shooterignores Glock’s advice and shoots thisgun held loosely. None of us took theRTF through a thousand-round-a-dayshooting course, but shooting a hundredstout .40 S&W rounds at a time simplycreated no hand soreness whatsoever.RTF In The FieldIn second quarter 2009, I traveled toEscambia County, Florida, whose sheriff’sdepartment had become the firstContinued on page 86G22 RTF (top)compared tostandard griptreatment.Photo: AyoobHand-held from thebench at 25 yards,Speer Gold Dot 165grain bonded JHP putfive shots in under 2".Photo: AyoobWWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 61

the ultimate 1911 accoutrementThe US Government developedthe M1 .30 Carbine toreplace both the .45 caliberThompson submachine gunand the 1911 .45 pistol. Itdidn’t in either case.mike “duke” venturinophotos: yvonne venturinothe terrifictommy gunDuke is shown hosing down one ofAction Target’s PT-torso steel targetswith a burst from his Thompson.62 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Duke’s M1 Thompson is “select fire” meaning by the flipof a switch it can be fired either full-auto or semi-auto.The Thompson was effective incombat in World War II, but at 13pounds loaded it was a heavy itemfor already overburdened GIs.everything even vaguely associatedwith handguns hasbeen hung onto, around, ornear the Model 1911 pistolat one time or another. PersonallyI like my 1911splain. In fact my currentfavorite is a stock militaryColt made in 1918. But after sayingthat I have to brag I have now boughtthe ultimate 1911 accoutrement — aThompson submachine gun!That’s right, I caught the full-autobug and I’m not apologizing to anyonefor it. In 2009 I wrote up my 1941 vintageGerman MP40 9mm in these pages.My quest for World War II submachineguns only got started with that one. Abunch of assorted but mostly unusedguns from my collection were sold,which caused a feeding frenzy amonggun guys near and far. With money stillin my pocket after paying for the MP40I set about finding a Thompson.They are rather easy to find althoughdarned expensive. And of course, beingfull-auto they must be registered withthe ATF. I didn’t care and paid the exactsame amount for one that Yvonne and IThis stamping on the side of all Thompson submachine guns hasbeen a source of confusion for over a half century. Colt madesome early Thompsons. Later ones were made either by Savageor Auto Ordnance but all were stamped with this marking.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 63

What’s this? No German helmet, noHawaiian shirt but the same silly grin.The M1 and M1A1 Thompsons of World War II could not take drum magazines.They were only used with stick magazines of 20 or 30 round capacity. A combatload for a soldier was either three 30-round magazines or five 20-round magazines.Also presumably the Thompson was carried into combat with one affixed.paid for our first house as newlyweds.“Tommy guns” are all the same and yetare very different. They are the samein they all have a wooden pistol gripand buttstock and feed from a detachablemagazine. They are all markedThompson somewhere.They are very different in thatat one time or the other Thompsonswere made in three different factoriesbelonging to Colt, Savage andAuto-Ordnance. There never was a“Thompson” factory. Thompsons canhave vertical or horizontal foregrips andtheir magazines can be 20- or 30-roundstick types or 50- or 100-round drums.They all have peep rear sights but theycan be a simple L-shaped piece of steelriveted to the top of the frame or veryintricate adjustable ones. Yet, both typesare marked “Lyman.”Thompsons can have a Cutts Compensatoron their muzzles or be justplain. Their buttstocks can be quickdetachable or screwed firmly in place.They can be stamped Model 1921,Model 1928 or Model 1928A1. Thereare even Model 1921s with a rathercrude “8” stamped over the 1. Andthere are also M1s and M1A1s. AllThompson barrels are 10.5" long andwill fit all models. Some are smoothand blued, some are smooth and Parkerizedand some are blued with fins.Some other calibers were chambered in“I didn’t care and paid theexact same amount for onethat Yvonne and I paid forour first house as newlyweds.”Duke test-fired his M1 Thompson with a handload and clockedit with the PACT MK IV Timer/Chronograph set to read full-autofire. It gave a rounds-per-minute count of 701.Duke has been firing these .45 ACP loads through his WorldWar II Thompson. At left is US military surplus with 230 grainFMJ bullet headstamped WCC66. Next is 220 grain cast bulletfrom Lyman mould #452374 and loaded round, then 225 graincast bullet by Oregon Trail bullet company and loaded round,and then 230 grain Hornady FMJ and loaded round.Thompsons from time to time, such as.38 Super, but if you see a Thompsonyou won’t endanger your money muchif betting it’s a .45 ACP.1921 GoldCollectors prize the Colt-madeModel 1921s most. They indeed arebeautifully made and finished, butI didn’t want one. My goal was tofind a “typical” World War II version,which would have been Models64 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

This simple bent piece of steel wasall the rear sight given to the M1version of the Thompsonsubmachine gun.1928, 1928A1, M1 or M1A1 with thelatter two being my preference. WhatI latched onto is a very early 1942 vintageM1, all original except for onedetail. M1 Thompson buttstocks shouldnot have the reinforcing cross-bolt.Mine does, but never mind. I found theproper buttstock without cross-bolt, putit on the shelf and allow the non-properone to collect all the dings and dentsI’m inflicting on it from shooting.Why would I go for the less fancy,utility model instead of those beautifulearly ones? In my mind the M1 (andM1A1) fits better in my World WarII firearms collection, and here’s onereason. When the US military finallygot interested in the Thompson submachinegun as World War II was gettingstarted, at first they paid $202.50 forthe Model 1928. Their intricate Lymansight, Cutts Compensator, finned barreland fine blue finish helped put the priceso high. Besides money, it took labor —man hours at machines — to make allthose machining cuts.There at the beginning of World WarII Savage Arms Company was actuallymaking the Thompson submachinegun under license from Auto-OrdnanceCorp. Colt had made the first 15,000way back in the 1920s and they allonly got sold by the late 1930s. Savage’sengineers put their heads togetherand figured out ways to make theThompson faster and cheaper withoutbecoming significantly less effective.The result was the M1 Thompson. AutoOrdnance Corporation didn’t particularlylike the changes but the governmentsure did because it dropped theirprice to about $44.00!A typical M1 Thompson will havea simple L-shaped piece of steel witha hole in it for a rear sight. The frontsight is a blade as part of a ring securedaround the front of the barrel. Thatbarrel will be smooth and can be eitherblued (very early) or Parkerized (mostcommon.) The foregrips are all horizontaland the only magazines that fitare the 20 and 30 round stick types.Continued on page 84Duke’s M1 Thompson is one of the centerpieceitems in his burgeoning World War II collection,which includes this restored 1943 Jeep.Duke considers theThompson submachinegun as the ultimate accoutermentto his 1911 pistols. Both of these areColts; one a 1911 and the other a 1911A1.This tiny “s”on the frame ofDuke’s M1Thompson signifiesit was made in theSavage factory.The primary difference between an M1Thompson and an M1A1 Thompson isthe former’s bolt has an internal hammeractuating the moving firing pin, but thelatter’s does not have a hammer. Its firingpin is machined integral with the bolt.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 65

ReloadingRevelationsReloaders tend to be thrifty and conservative. We find something thatworks and stick with it. For example, W-W 452AA is a shotgun powderwhich also works well in the .45 ACP. I bought a bunch on sale and stillhave some on hand, even though it was discontinued years ago. I have adozen pounds of the original Hodgdon H-4831, made in WWII and soldby Hodgdon until supplies ran out in the early 1970s.It makes sense to buy in bulk, and tostick with things that work. But we don’twant to get so attached to old favoriteswe overlook some powders introducedin recent years. Alliant, makers of suchclassic powders as Bullseye and 2400,also has Power Pistol for moderatecapacity autopistol cartridges, notablythe 9mm, 10mm, .40 S&W and .357SIG. Alliant also has a new line of powderscalled Power Pro including PowerPro 300-MP for magnum handgun loads.Hodgdon has a bunch of powdersI like. I used to use a lot of HS-6 incompensated .38 Supers.H-110 is great in my .44Magnum and .454 Casullpistols. One I need to try is Titegroup.Hodgdon states it’s aneconomical, clean-burning anduniform powder with mildmuzzle report.Ramshot Zip isa f a s t - b u r n i n ghandgun powderfor target/competitionloads in cartridgessuch as .38Spl., .40 S&W and.45 ACP. RamshotTrue Blue is aversatile powderw h i c h c a nbe used inWhat’sNewandWhat’sStillCoolDave AndersonLeft: For those wanting aheavier duty single-stagepress capable of taskssuch as bullet swaging aswell as routine reloading,the Lee Classic Cast has arigid frame and compoundleverage.Hornady’sprogressiveloading tool usestheir Lock ‘n’Load feature forfast die changes.A heavy dutyand excellentmachine, builtwith typical Hornadyhigh quality.66 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

A few of the die sets on the loading bench I share witha friend. Mostly RCBS in this photo, but also Bonanza,Dillon, Hornady, and Redding in view here.Pistol is an Inglis P-35 9mm with matchingstock/holster, made in WWII.Reloaders tend to buy in bulk (be aware of local fire/insuranceregulations, and store properly; all these powders are ina secure fire-resistant vault). W-W 231 and Alliant Bullseye areclassic powders in .38 Spl. and .45 ACP target loads.This ancientRCBS Rockchuckersinglestage press hasloaded hundredsof thousands ofrounds. Whileon the slowside, the careand attentionyou can give toloading individualroundsoften makessense, especiallywhen loadingsmall lots fortesting.handgun cartridges from .380 ACP to.454 Casull. Both are available in oneand four-pound kegs.Winchester powders are now beingdistributed by Hodgdon. I used to gothrough a couple of eight-pound kegs ofW-W 231 per year, in my competition.45s. It’s a great powder. W-W Auto-Comp is claimed to be ideal for compensatedpistols in calibers 9mm through.45 ACP. And don’t overlook shotgunpowders too. W-W WSF is also useful in9mm, .38 Super and .40 S&W loads.BothIt used to be reloaders started outwith a single-stage press, maybebecause progressives were so darnexpensive. Since the “Dillon revolution”made progressives affordablemany reloaders don’t even bother withsingle stage presses any more.I think handgun reloaders need both.Certainly for volume reloading I’d hateToday’s die sets (like these from RCBS) arebetter than ever. Maybe it’s time to tosssome of your old steel ones and upgradeto carbide sizers and modern designs?Okay … we know you won’t throw awayyour old ones!to do without a progressive. But forloading a few rounds to testing new powdersand bullets, and for teaching newreloaders, a single stage press belongson every bench. Currently good qualitysingle stage presses — the Lee andRCBS Partner, for example — are sohandy and moderately priced there’s noexcuse for not owning one. To go with ita hand or bench-mounted priming tool isgreat when you want to load a batchof 50 or 100 rounds.Handloading has two major benefits.Low volume experimentationallows you to develop and test loadswhich best serve your needs. Highvolume reloading saves time andmoney. Handgunners really shouldhave the equipment tohandle both needs.*For more info on the products seenhere: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlWhile the standard 550 is alreadya best buy in progressive reloaders,Dillon somehow managed to designand make an even more economicalmodel, the Square Deal.Power Pro is a new lineup of powders from Alliant. Four are riflepowders, while 300-MP is intended for magnum pistol cartridges.Sure, you have aprogressive reloader set upfor .38 Super or .40 S&W, butare you going to change it overjust to load a hundred rounds of .44Magnum or .454 Casull? For these smallvolumeloading jobs a single-stage pressand hand-held priming tool such as thisone from Hornady are much handier.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 67

Horkos Knife —flat dark earthwith blackmicarta.Ares Knife — flatdark earth withgreen micarta.68 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

f you want to know what makes agreat fighting knife ask someonewho’s used one, or in the case ofSpartan Blades, LLC, just ask coownersCurtis Iovito and MarkCarey. These two military veteransbiographies speak for themselves.Iovito was a member of the USArmy Special Forces as a WeaponsSergeant, while Carey was a memberof the same elite group, as a MedicalSergeant and Senior NCO. Both menspent 20-plus years each in the military,including special duties in counterterrorismand sniping. Both menwent through tours of duty in Asia andthe Middle East and were teammatesduring several years of their service.Needless to say, they both got to knowknives along with their firearms, sowhat better pair to put together a companyspecializing in edged weapons?Curtis Iovito, the president ofSpartan, went into the venture withhands-on experience at knifemaking.During his duty in the Special Forceshe took an interest in making knivesand developed his skills by makingEnyo Knife —flat dark earth.cutters for his buddies in 1st SpecialForces Group Airborne. After Curtisretired from military service he workedas the marketing director for a companyspecializing in large armor development,gaining valuable experiencein the business world, which includedworking with the US government andforeign entities.Spartan vice-president Mark Carey’spost-military career paralleledthat of Iovito. Mark also becameinvolved in the armament industry,serving as the Director of OverseasOperations in Kuwait for an armordevelopment company in charge ofplanning and managing a multi-milliondollar military contract. Like teammateIovito, he gained valuable experiencein the business arena and workingwith foreign governments.When asked why he and Iovitochose knives as the focus of their businesseffort Mark tells us, “Since Curtishad made knives on and off for yearsfor our buddies and we had learneda lot about manufacturing in shortContinued on page 94Erebus Knife —flat dark earthwith tan micarta.Nyx Knife — flatdark earth withgreen handle.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 69

Sierra BulletsFamily Businesses That DeliverStarline BrassJohn TaffinPhotos: Roy HuntingtonStarline’s entire staff proves there are people behind everycase you use. And any company with a dog on staff can’t be bad!Busy as bees if you ask us. Many employees at bothSierra and Starline count their years there in decades.Management treats everyone like family. Photo: Yamil SuedBrass cups are the first step toward cartridge cases atStarline, just as cups are the first step toward jackets at Sierra.There are a lot of great peopleinvolved in the firearmsindustry including severalgenerations of families. Twoimmediately coming to mindare the Hodgdon and Brownellfamilies. I can’t imagine functioningas a shooter withoutHodgdon’s powders andthe Brownells catalog which coversvirtually everything else needed forgunsmithing and shooting. Anotherprominent family is the Hayden familyheaded up by Robert Hayden. Sierrastarted in 1947 and Robert came onboard in 1969. Interestingly enough,I’ve never met Robert, however morethan 20 years ago my good friend,the late Hal Swiggett, introduced meto Robert’s lovely wife Barbara andthen I met their son Robert. Togetherthey make up Sierra Bullets and Starlineboth of which have relocatedfrom California back to their roots inMissouri. They have both been veryhelpful to me over the years.What rifle shooter doesn’t know ofSierra’s Match King Bullets? I likenames instead of numbers and Sierraoffers great names: Blitzking, Varminter,Pro-Hunter, Game King and70 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

After beingformed,Starline brasshas to beannealed(heated andsoftened)since theforming process“workhardens” thebrass. Otherwisecaseswould be toobrittle.Photo: Yamil SuedA draw press turns “cups” intoelongated forms, closer to whatyou and I know of as finishedcartridge cases. Can you say“tons and tons of power?”Photo: Yamil SuedFinished cases wait their turn to be boxedand shipped. Starline and Sierra makemany of the components that help ourmilitary fight their battles, so be patient ifyour favorite bullet or brass isn’t alwaysavailable — both companies count oursoldiers as their number one customers.And we agree. Photo: Yamil SuedSome of the steps at Starline reminded us of watching bulletjackets being made at Sierra. The forming of cases is done by“drawing” out the brass from the initial cup form using severaldies — and those big machines!Some of the equipment at Starline is decades old, butthen again, nobody makes these solid iron machinesthese days. The thrum and pound of machinery is musicto your ears when you visit. Many of the machines arefrom the WWII era and earlier, and helped to makecases that won the war!Lathes are used to both trim cases tolength and to machine rims, extractiongrooves and such into cases during thecreation of finished cases at Starline.Yup, they reminded us of gold too! Here, cases arestill in the lubricant used to help during the forming process.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 71

It’s not right until it is and Sierra maintains a labfull of actions for virtually every caliber. Theirtechnician tests thousands of bullets weekly.What a job, eh?Sierra’slegendaryreloadingmanual isvirtuallyiconic in theindustry.Photo: John TaffinBe still our beating hearts.We confess it was tough to benear so many beautiful bulletsand to have to keep yourhands in your pockets!Taffin uses no-end of Sierra bullets.Here’s a line-up for the .45 ACP.Based in Missouri, both Sierra and Starline arein “hunting and shooting” country!Step one: Turning perfectlygood copper sheet into thebasic “cups” thatwill eventuallybe bullets youand I shoot.Lead ingots are only part of the raw goods that come in the doorat Sierra daily. They really do “make” the bullets from scratch!From that basic copper “cup”you can see some of the stepsinvolved in “drawing” out whateventually will become a jacket.In this case, on a rifle bullet.72 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Lead ingots turn into lead wire through Sierra magic and that“wire” becomes lead cores in a wide range of bullets.Sportsmaster. I’ve used thousands ofSierra sixgun and semiauto pistol bulletsover the years, and for testing theDoubleStar 1911-A1 recently I wentwith four excellent .45 ACP bulletsfrom Sierra, the 185 JHP, 200 FPJ, 230JHP and 230 FMJ along with Starlinebrass. Many of my sixgun loads overthe years in .44 Special, .44 Magnumand .45 Colt have been assembled withSierra bullets. There are, of course,other excellent bullets available, andover the course of a year’s testing I usebullets from several manufacturers,however when it comes to brass,I almost exclusively use Starline —to the point I will not purchase anythingelse but Starline unless for somereason it’s not available.Handloaders FriendsIt was not too many years ago whenit was very difficult to find anythingexcept very standard cartridge cases.That all changed with the advent ofStarline. In addition to the “normallyaccepted” line of brass, Starline makesit possible to once again shoot suchcartridges as .45 S&W, .44 Colt and.44 Russian. Their .45 Colt and .44Magnum handle heavy loads easily,and cartridges which used to be a painto load such as the .32-20, .38-40 and.44-40 (because they were so fragile)are now replaced by a much sturdierStarline brass.The large ammunition companiesnormally have their own brand of bulletsand brass, however a check withsuch companies as Black Hills, BuffaloBore and Cor-Bon reveals theuse of a long list of Sierra Bullets andStarline brass.Sierra also offers one of the finestreloading manuals available, looseleaf, with pages which are easilyremovable. When I started reloadingback in the 1950s it was not all thateasy to find components, and evenharder to find information. Toll freenumbers are maintained by both Sierra(800) 223-8799 and Starline (800)280-6660, to answer any reloadingquestions. I don’t want to evenimagine what reloading would be likewithout Sierra Bullets andStarline Brass.*For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlThere’s a great deal of hands-on work at Sierra. Here, staffers pack,box and get ready to ship your bullets. And yes, those 50 gallondrums you see are full of Sierra bullets waiting their turn!So many steps to make a bullet — and atSierra all the steps are carefully monitored.Here, gilding metal “cups” begintheir journey into bullet-hood.Grand-size roles of copperalloy arrive, eventuallyturning into Sierra bullets.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 73

Richard MannA CharmingSnake74 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

The slash-cut slideon the Gaboon setsits appearanceapart from allother 1911s.The Gaboon’sinternal recoilspring plugand innovativebushing is theengineeringbehindthe look.The NeXt alteration to the 1911 permitsthe pistol to be loaded or unloaded with thesafety engaged. It’s a feature that takes somegetting used to but it is entirely practical.The recoil spring plug for theGaboon looks much differentthan one from a standard 1911.The recoil spring plug insertsfrom the rear of theslide and is not heldin place by thebarrel bushing.Late last fall I received acall from Dustin Bonar.Dustin is the son on thelate Joe Bonar who wasa friend and the lead1911 scientist at Novak’sfor many years. Joe andI were close. He was inmy wedding and threw me in the NewRiver while I was still wearing the tuxand the Lightweight Commander heso eloquently engineered for me. Joepassed several years ago and has beendeeply missed by family, friends andthose who relied on him to build 1911sto keep them safe.Dustin was already working atNovak’s but soon took over his father’sduties there. He was just out of his teensbut still knew how to build a 1911.Hell, his dad had been showing himhow since before he was kissing girls.For Dustin, 1911s and other firearmswere his childhood puzzles. Dustin leftNovak’s in 2008 when he decided hiscreative mind needed more leeway.That’s when he started LST (LightningStrike Technologies).You probably think “LightningStrike” refers to an electrical blast orRichard’s Gaboon ran finewith a nice cross-sectionof ammo.The recoil spring plug is removed fromthe Gaboon by pushing it to the rear ofthe slide. It serves the samepurpose as a standardrecoil spring plugit just installsdifferently.the rapid assault of some tactical deathsquad. Nope, Dustin has been infatuatedwith snakes for as long as he canremember and routinely kept them aspets when younger. “Lightning Strike”refers to the speed of a snake’s strike.This brings us to the Gaboon; whatDustin Bonar calls his first signature1911. The Gaboon is an African pitviper that spends most of its timemotionless, lying in wait on its prey.A Gaboon strikes with amazing speedand agility and their venom is seriouslydeadly. With age, the Gaboon grows apair of rostral horns and is the largestof the vipers.What does this have to do with 1911s?Nothing, until now. Dustin stretched theDustin Bonarin the LST shopassembling theauthor’s Gaboon.Dustin may lookyoung but heliterally grew upbuilding pistolsunder the tutelageof one of the best1911 smithsever; his father,Joe Bonar.LST typically installs Novak sights onthe Gaboon but the author preferredthe XS 24/7 style sightbecause they are sofast to get on target.They also put youin mind of therostral hornson the snakethe pistolis namedafter.analogy and by altering the pistol’sappearance with some rakish lines,modernized the 1911. LST offers theGaboon in 9mm, .38 Super, .40 S&W,.45 ACP and Dustin’s preferred cartridge— the 10mm. The result is adeadly and dependable pistol that, likethe Gaboon viper, will lay in wait untilcalled upon to strike at some aggressivetroll. Given Colt’s history ofnaming revolvers after snakes, it’s afitting moniker. Before we finished ourtalk I ordered a Gaboon in .45 ACP.Cosmetic?In March of 2009 I drove to LSTto collect my pistol and while thereDustin explained his goal with theGaboon was to radically renovatethe looks of the 1911 without sacrificingfunctionality or altering themechanics of the original design.To accomplish this, a slash cut ismade on the bottom of the slide; thearea where the recoil spring plug isinserted. This makes a conventionalbushing useless so Dustin devisedContinued on page 88There is a great deal of difference betweenthe Gaboon barrel bushing (left) and astandard 1911 bushing (right). From a functionstandpoint the Gaboon bushing doesnot hold the recoil spring plug in place.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 75

WIN!HANDGUN OF THE MONTHS&W ModelFrom the S&WPerformanceCenter325Includes Thunder Ranch Gun Rugand Defensive Revolver DVD!76 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

ENTEr ONlINE AT AMEricANHANDGUNNEr.cOM!Thunder RanchRevolver .45ACPPhoto: Joe NovelozoSome people think the revolver is dead, whileothers — the smarter ones — realize today isactually the renaissance of the wheelgun. In virtuallyevery respect, today’s revolvers are more reliable,more versatile, better engineered and full offeatures and ideas that dominate previous designs.CNC machining means better fit, modern technology meanshigh-tech metals and synthetics and today’s high-performanceammo all combine to make it clear — today’s revolvers don’tgive up a thing to any semiauto!And not only heading the pack, but virtually leadingthe way, is the S&W Performance Center. This small group oftalented and experienced pistolsmiths work together to createsome of the most innovative designs we see today. Combinedwith S&W’s commitment to bring back the classic revolverdesigns (their “Classic” series), S&W keeps pushing the envelopein revolver performance.The Thunder Ranch Revolver may just be at the epitomeof that breed. Designed with in-put from Handgunner stafferand Thunder Ranch founder Clint Smith, this .45 ACP revolveris on the forefront of revolver design at many levels. Fromthe lightweight Scandium Alloy frame and stainless steel cylinder,to the interchangeable gold bead front sight, ability touse “moon” clips and light rail, the Thunder Ranch Revolvertakes classic, reliable revolver performance and upgrades itto the 21 st century.Included with the revolver is a high quality Thunder Ranchgun rug, and Defensive Revolver DVD, hosted by Clint Smith.This DVD (produced in conjunction with FMG Training Videos), isvintage Clint, full of tips and recommendations on how to besthandle the Thunder Ranch revolver.Custom Features• Capacity: 6 rounds• Action: Single/Double• Capacity: 6 (uses “moon”)• Sights: Gold front, adjustablewhite outline rear• Barrel length: 4"• Overall length: 9.5"• Empty weight: 31 oz• Grip: Synthetic• Finish: Matte blacktotal value:OVER $1,400!For more info:www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlTO ENTER CONTEST: Use a postcard (no envelopes, please) and follow the sampleshown. Send to AMERICAN HANDGUNNER, Dept. H3, P.O. Box 501377, San Diego, CA92150-1377. Entries must be received before April 30, 2010.Reader Survey Questions:1. Have you ever served in the Military? A) Yes B) No2. Have you ever worked in Law Enforcement? A) Yes B) No3. Do you prefer a fixed blade knife or a folding knife?A) Fixed blade B) Folding knife4. How often do you use the Internet?A) More than an hour per day B) Daily C) Several times per weekD) Weekly E) Seldom5.Have you viewed the digital editions of American Handgunner?A) Yes B) NoHOM MARCH/APRIL 2010NameSAMPLE___________________________________Address _____________ City, State, Zip____________Email Address _______________________CiRCLE aNSwERS TO ReadER Survey:Question #1: (A) (B) Question #2: (A) (B)Question #3: (A) (B) Question #4: (A) (B) (C) (D) (E)Question #5: (A) (B)If I win, please ship my prize through:Dealer ___________________________________Address _____________ City, State, Zip ____________Phone ( ) ____ - ________ Store hours __ am __ pmLimit 1 entry per household. This contest is open to individuals who are residents of the United States and its territories only. Agents and employees of PublishersDevelopment Corporation and their families are excluded from entering. Contest void where prohibited or restricted by law. Winners must meet all local laws and regulations.Taxes and compliance with firearms regulations will be the responsibility of the winners. Winners will be notified by CERTIFIED MAIL on official letterhead. ATTEN-TION DEPLOYED MILITARY: USE STATESIDE ADDRESS! No purchase necessary to enter.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 77

AYOOB FILESContinued from page 34The hand emerges from the bagempty, and the man begins to sprinttoward his car. Terry yells, “shoothim!” but Guy, holding the shotgun, hasmissed the furtive movement toward thebag, and does not yet know it containsloaded guns. He’s not up for shooting,based on what he knows, and he handsTerry the shotgun.Multiple possibilities race throughGraham’s brain. He has to assumethe two loaded semiautomatic pistolshe has left in that bag are now in thecriminal’s possession. Will the intruderflee? Will he shoot them all now? Willhe run his getaway car down the longdriveway, stop out of range of the punysingle-shot .410, and gun them alldown with impunity?struck the driver in the head. The pelletshad been too close together to spread,and the lead payload has struck enmasse, still together, creating one largehole that pathologists sometimes call a“rat-hole wound.” Josh Chambers, 33,was found sprawled across the front seatand was pronounced dead at the scene.The post-mortem toxicology screenshowed he had cocaine in his system.Chambers had been the black sheepson of good parents, his family wellrespected locally, but drug problemshad consumed his life. He had becomea burglar to pay for his heavy habit,and not a very good one. He had beencaught on many occasions, had donesome serious hard time, and was onparole at the time of his shooting. Hiscontinuing pattern of crime and substanceabuse had broken his mother’sheart and so frightened his wife that shehad divorced him, allowing him onlyGraham has a heart condition and he knows he can’toutrun an automobile, let alone a bullet. He sees onlyone chance, and he’s holding it in his hands.www.americanhandgunner.comAnd now as the running manapproaches his car, it is Olson who seesthe suspect’s hand fumble inside thebag. But then, instead of drawing anything,the man and the bag go into thewhite Ford together.AttackNow behind the wheel, the strangeraccelerates. He races the Taurus directlyat Terry Graham. Olsen is somewherebehind Graham, and Graham can’t seewhere he is, and fears for him, too. Heknows the man in the car almost certainlyhas two loaded guns; and now,as the Ford rushes toward him, he perceivesthe driver’s right hand reachingtoward the bag he has thrown onto theseat while beginning his escape.Graham has a heart condition and heknows he can’t outrun an automobile, letalone a bullet. He sees only one chance,and he’s holding it in his hands. In onedesperate motion, just before the car canhit him, Graham lunges to the side, raisesthe shotgun to his shoulder, and fires.Then the car is past him. He is unhurt.The vehicle continues forward untilit crashes, hard, into a tree at the end ofthe long driveway. There is no movementin the vehicle. It’s over. Grahamhands the empty shotgun to Osborn, andreaches for his cell phone. This time hegets through to 911.ResultThe single shot fired had gonethrough the open window of the driver’sdoor and the small charge of birdshotsupervised visits to see his children.At the time of his death, JoshChambers was driving a vehicle thatwould quickly track to him. He hadto have known that Graham, Olsonand Olson’s teenage son had ampleopportunity to memorize his licenseplate, which would result inevitablyin his capture and arrest. Paroleesknow exactly what they stand to loseif caught committing another seriouscrime while they’re tentatively back inmainstream society.Chambers had ten-plus years left todo on the sentence from which he hadbeen temporarily reprieved. There wasthis new burglary to look at, now committedby a serial offender. He was afelon in possession of controlled drugs,and now, a felon in possession of firearms.He had to know he was lookingat the end of life as he knew it. He hadmade it clear to those who knew himthat he didn’t think he could survivewithout drugs, as he would have to doif returned to prison. And he had everyreason to know all these undesirablethings would ensue if Graham and theOlsons survived to call the cops, givethem his license tag number and testifyagainst him.The travel bag he had thrown on theseat beside him contained several thousanddollars in cash the rancher kepthandy for emergencies. It also containedtwo loaded handguns, a Glock 23 andan IntraTec Tec-22.Various experts determined thevehicle was accelerating at the moment78 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Made with Pride in the U.S.A.What’s in a name?History.John Taliaferro Thompson founded the Auto-Ordnance Corporation ®in 1916 with John Blish and Thomas Fortune Ryan to design anddevelop a hand held machine gun. The product of this collaborationwas the world famous “Tommy Gun ® .”Since its inception, the “Tommy Gun” has become an Americanicon. Carried by G-men and colorful characters like Al Capone andJohn Dillinger in the 1920’s and 30’s and trusted by our soldiers inWWII. The Thompson was the coveted weapon among specializedtroops such as Rangers, Marine Raiders, armored and parachute units.The “Tommy Gun” went on to see service in Korea and Vietnam.At Auto-Ordnance we take great pride in continuing GeneralThompson’s legacy by producing finely crafted semi-automaticversions of the historic Thompson submachine gun.KAHR ARMS:130 Goddard Memorial Drive, Worcester, MA 01603Sales Support & Service: 508-795-3919Websites: www.tommygun.com / www.tommygunshop.comCourtesy The National WWII Museum www.nationalww2museum.orgPut a piece of history in your hands.Own a Thompson!®®

the criminal justice side of the house,the matter was effectively over. But thecivil side of the matter was yet to come.The LawsuitOne thing you learn if you’reinvolved in homicide cases over decades,is even if a man has done many badthings and brought fear to the peoplewho most love him, once he is dead itbecomes safe to love him again. It’shuman nature to seek revenge upon thosewho kill the people we love.The dead man’s ex-wife filed awrongful death lawsuit, on behalf of thechildren she’d had with Josh Chambers,against Terry Graham. Trial was held inJuly of 2009 in the courtroom of JudgeRandall Rogers, in the Tyler, Texascourthouse that a few years before hadbeen the scene of a horrendous massmurder in which an armed citizen hadstopped the killing, (saving several people’slives) but being killed himself inthe act. The gunman was killed a matterof minutes later by a courageous Tylercop. It is a story that has been told inthese pages in the past.Graham retained Tracy Crawford, abrilliant attorney hugely respected in thearea. Judge Rogers spoke of the plaintiffs’lawyers, Charles Clark and GregPorter, as being highly respected too. Iwas very impressed with Judge Rogers— a stern jurist, but even-handedly so —and will take his word for that. I can onlyobserve that even the best lawyers mustfeel a need to stretch things when theyhave a weak case.In his opening statement for theplaintiff, Attorney Porter told the jury,“There’s no death penalty in Texas forburglary or for being a drug addict.”The plaintiffs’ theory was the fleeingburglar had been trying to drive aroundthe homeowner, and had been executedneedlessly. The autopsy showed theblast of the small shotgun had enteredthe side of the head and tracked slightlyforward. The plaintiff’s theory was thismeant Chambers had been shot frombehind as he fled, presenting no danger.However, Terry Graham had hiredthe right attorney. A harmless man executedfor being a drug addict? The plaintiffex-wife was cross-examined gentlybut most effectively by defense lawyerTracy Crawford. He led her to admitin the past she had so feared for herand her children’s safety at the hands ofthe deceased burglar, that she had fileda temporary restraining order againsthim. The plaintiff’s theory painted aloving father who was simply a victimof a compulsion he couldn’t control. Hisformer father in law testified, “That manloved his children more than anything.”Crawford asked him softly, “More thandrugs?” “I don’t know about that,” thefather-in-law answered.In addition to effectively cross-examiningthe plaintiff’s expert, CrawfordWWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 81

A LASERTHISSMALLIS HUGE.called two of his own: Albert Rodriguez,a top Texas instructor, and me. Hisstrategy was to bracket the defense caselike bookends, Rodriguez the first to testifyand me the last, with testimony thatshowed the jury both the state of Texasand national standards were absolutelymet when Terry Graham fired the shotthat killed Josh Chambers. Rodriguez,by all accounts, did a masterful job ofdelivering an honest testimony provingunshakable on cross.tore into Chambers’ brain was consistentwith a man suddenly realizing his victimwas about to fight back, and twistinghis head away from the upcoming gunmuzzle in the instant before the shot,too quickly for the defendant to stophis trigger finger. Even the plaintiff’sexpert had to admit this under Crawford’sdynamic cross-examination.Perhaps the greatest stretch by theplaintiffs was their theory that Graham,armed with a shotgun, had the doomedI can only observe that even the best lawyers must feela need to stretch things when they have a weak case.the new C5:world’s onlysubcompactgreen laserTHE ASTOUNDINGC5 SERIES IS SO TINY,IT FITS SUBCOMPACTWEAPONS. YET SOADVANCED, ITDELIVERS A DAYTIME-VISIBLE GREEN LASER,UP TO 50X TIMESBRIGHTER THAN RED.AVAILABLE WITH 100LUMEN TAC LIGHT.inescapably brilliantVIRIDIANGREENLASER.COM800-990-9390In between came the heartfelt testimonyof the participants and eyewitnesses.Asked at one point in the investigationif he had been in fear of hislife, Graham had of course replied inthe affirmative. Asked at another pointwhether he feared for the Olsons, hehad said yes to that too. The plaintiff’sside tried to make it look as ifhe had given two different, conflictinganswers. The jury, a well-educatedgroup comprising eight women and fourmen, weren’t fooled. They understoodGraham felt he had to fire to protecthimself and his foreman and the foreman’steenage son.The testimony of those who werethere was unanimous. Graham had saidfrom the beginning he thought he wasgoing to be shot with a gun and hit byan accelerating automobile at the time hefired the fatal shot. Guy Olson said underoath, “The man jumped in his car, putit in gear and took off. At that time Mr.Graham was all but in front of the man’scar. I was afraid the man was going to runover Mr. Graham. Mr. Graham steppedout of the way of the man’s car and firedthe gun. If Mr. Graham wouldn’t havestepped away, the man would have runhim over with the vehicle.” Young JasonOsborn said under oath, “The man drovehis vehicle towards Mr. Graham — likehead-on. Mr. Graham stepped to (his)right to get out of the way and shot at thevehicle. The man would have run overMr. Graham if he had not gotten out ofthe way.”Defense lawyer Crawford left in tattersthe plaintiffs’ theory that Chambershad been “executed” and “shot frombehind.” All testimony indicated the shotwas fired as the driver came abreast ofthe defendant: otherwise, how wouldthe birdshot have gotten into the acceleratingcar, except through that openwindow? If the shot had come frombehind as the plaintiffs wanted the juryto believe, Chambers would have had tohave had a neck like a giraffe and hunghis head out the window. The very slightback-to-front angle of the pellets as theyburglar “outgunned.” By the timeRodriguez and I were done, the juryknew that a single-shot firearm withbirdshot suitable for small featheredcreatures and little animals at closerange was no match for the Glock .40the dead man had in his possession, themost popular anti-personnel handgunin law enforcement today. His car doorwould have been in effect a bulletproofshield against the .410’s tiny pellets,and the short range .410 would havebeen hopelessly outmatched at any distanceif, as Graham had first feared,the man had simply driven a distancebeyond them, stopped, and leaned out topick them off. Graham had a single-shotgun with one lonely little shell, and nospare ammunition; Josh Chambers wasindisputably in possession of a stolenGlock loaded with eight rounds of .40S&W hollow point, and a Tec-22 semiautopistol loaded with 21 rounds of .22Long Rifle. Both pistols were recoveredwith live rounds in the chambers. Farfrom being outgunned, the dead manhad a 29-to-1 “firepower advantage”over the homeowner he was comingat, and that’s before considering thecrushing power of the automobile hewas driving straight at Graham.The jury “got it.” They returned atotal defense verdict. The final exonerationof the homeowner who had nearlybeen killed defending himself and hisfriends from a violent, armed burglarwas complete.LessonsTexas had passed a so-called CastleLaw that offered some degree of civillawsuit immunity to householders whoshot intruders. However, the law did nottake effect until September 2007, someseven months after this shooting.Terry’s fumble when first attemptingto call 911 was typical. It happens oftenin such situations. We get clumsy understress, and we tend to do things out ofsequence. Fortunately, the cell phonerecords showed he had indeed attemptedto make the call immediately before the82 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

shooting, and that helped to spike anyimplication he had acted as a vigilante.We can see why Graham first hesitatedto call police. He wasn’t sure itwas a burglary, he didn’t want to embarrassunrecognized friends who mighthave dropped by, and he didn’t want totake a deputy who might be seriouslyneeded elsewhere out of service if hewasn’t sure it was necessary. In retrospect,though, his bitter experience tellsus it is wise to call the police even if wemerely suspect they might be needed.We are reminded some burglarscarry their own weapons and somedon’t, but if they’re coming out of ourhouse when we confront them, theymay have our weapons now, as JoshChambers surely had Graham’s. TerryGraham had not been armed whenhe came home from church. But forhis cautious wisdom in asking GuyOsborn to bring a gun, he — and Guyand his son — would have been helplessagainst a man now well-armed andwith a strong motive to murder them allto stay out of prison and continue hiscocaine-driven life.Understand, the saying “a goodshoot is a good shoot” is almost childishlynaïve. In this case, an honest andhighly professional district attorney wasin office, and a Grand Jury was correctlyallowed to see both sides, and this savedGraham from the ordeal of a wrongfulcriminal trial. However, that was no protectionagainst what I — and, apparently,the jury — considered to be an unmeritoriouslawsuit. Even if the “Castle Doctrine”had been in effect, the plaintiff’sPowerered ed by Wolfolff!complaint was cunningly crafted to getaround it, with allegations such as “grossFor over 50 yearsnegligence” which are exempted fromprotection under most such laws.Wolff has been thePlease don’t read this and think,name you trust for“Well, he won at trial in the end, so it’sprecision gunspringsall good.” I never asked Terry Graham,but some close to him estimate his legal- Recoil Springsbills exceeded $60,000 that he’ll never- Magazine Springsget back. I’ve seen it go a lot more. And- Hammer Springsthat’s before you factor in what it doesto your life to spend about two and a- Firing Pin Springshalf years with the sharp-edged pendulumof The Law hanging over your- Performance Kits- Other Springshead, all the while facing false allegationsyou’re a vengeful executionerFor hundreds ofafter you’ve spent a full, productive lifeSemi-Auto Pistols,doing good for people.Revolvers, RiflesAnd, one final bit of advice. Thisand Shotguns.isn’t the first case I’ve seen of the citizencoming home to find the intruderalready there and armed. It would beLike oil in your car,nice if you already had some defensivehardware with you at such asprings need to bemoment, instantly deployable for thechanged from timedefense of yourself and others. If youto time.even remotely think you might one dayface an armed and dangerous burglar onyour own property, please equip yourselfwith something more suited to such Toll-Free at 800-545-0077 or 610-359-9600 sure your gun isP.O.Box 458, Dept. 381, Newtown Square, PA 19073 Isn’t it time to makeemergencies than a single-shotwww.gunsprings.gunsprings.com.comPowered by Wolff!.410 loaded with bunny shot. *WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 83

ultimate 1911Continued from page 65Troops didn’t like the weight and bulkof the drum magazines and generallyjust threw them away when empty. M1Thompsons were made in two plants:Savage in New York and Auto OrdnanceCorp. in Bridgeport (CT). Thisfact is a little confusing. All of themwere marked with the latter company’sname but those made by Savage willhave a small “s” stamped into the frameahead of the magazine well.According to Bruce Canfield’s excellentbook U.S. Infantry Weapons OfWorld War II, only 285,480 M1 Thompsonswere made before the M1A1upgrade was adopted. By the way, exceptfor the buttstock variation mentionedabove and some protective wings alongsidethe rear sight, the only real differencebetween M1 and M1A1 Thompsonsis that the latter’s bolt has a fixed firingpin while the former model has a separateone actuated by an internal hammer.WorldwideThompson submachine guns in allmodels were used in combat in everytheatre of World War II. Many wentto the British and Chinese under theLend-Lease Act, and interestingly manyof those Chinese ones were turnedagainst American troops in the KoreanWar. They had been captured from theNationalist Chinese by the CommunistChinese during and after their CivilWar. Many thousand of those Thompsonssent to the Brits early in World WarII ended up at the bottom of the AtlanticOcean as victims of German U-Boats.The rate of fire of 800 rounds perminute for the M1 Thompson is ratherfast as World War II submachine gunsgo. By comparison the German MP40 israted at 500 rpm, the British STEN thesame, and the Thompson’s replacement— the M3 Grease Gun — is only about450 rpm. Only the Russian’s PPsh41beat the Thompson at 900 rpm.The rpm listed are nominal. All ofthem are recoil operated, meaning theywill actually cycle faster with hotterammunition and slower with lowervelocity ammunition. For this article Itest fired a handload using a 220 graincast bullet over 5.4 grains of Winchester231 powder. As read by my PACT MKIV Timer/Chronograph that handloadprovided a rate of fire of only 701 rpm.Thompson submachine guns of allmodels have an avid, even perhaps a cultfollowing. Does that mean they were thebest submachine gun of World War II?My opinion is, “No way.” There werethree basic charges leveled against them.They were too heavy, their ammunitionwas too heavy, and they were hard tocontrol in full auto. All those things aretrue. The hard to control factor can becured with training: meaning learning tohold it properly and fire in short bursts.It’s doubtful if the American militaryestablishment in World War II tookthe time or supplied the ammunitionnecessary to make everyone issued aThompson an expert shooter with it.Nothing could be done about the“heavy” business. Empty, my M1weighs 11.5 pounds. Loaded with 20and 30 round magazines it’s up to 12.25and 12.75 pounds respectively. Magazinepouches were supplied for M1/M1A1s holding either five 20-roundmagazines, or three 30-round ones.Filled with loaded magazines thosepouches weigh 7.25 and 6.25 poundsin the same order. There’s more thanone story in World War II oral historywhere a veteran says he got rid of hisThompson because it was such a burden.So why did the Thompson see somuch use worldwide in the SecondWorld War? The answer is simple. Itwas the only submachine gun availableto American and British forces whenthe conflict began. Most American tankswere issued with a Thompson stored inthe turret, and they were given in largequantities to airborne troops to help bolstertheir firepower. However, early in1944 the US Government decreed thatSavage and Auto Ordnance stop makingThompsons because the M3 grease gunhad been officially adopted.Making It WorkIt’s actually simple. There’s a selectorswitch on the weapon’s left side for fullorsemi-firing. Put it in the mode youwould like to shoot, insert a magazineuntil it clicks into place, then pull thebolt rearwards. There it will stay untilthe trigger is pulled because like mostsubmachine guns the Thompson firesfrom an open bolt. Even on semiautomode these things aren’t overly precisebecause of that heavy bolt. When itslides forward the sight picture is mostcertainly disturbed. Recoil isn’t much,but muzzle climb is. I was able to comparethat factor between my M1 and afriend’s Model 1928A1 with its CuttsCompensator. His was definitely easierto hold on target.My M1 Thompson certainly isn’tmy favorite of the subguns I’vebought. I’ll save that tidbit for anotherstory. But still, when I take my 1911.45s down to my steel target range forsome fun, the Thompson generallygoes along. And when I allow friendsto try shooting my subguns it’s usuallythe Thompson they all wantto fire first. Imagine that.*Go to www.americanhandgunner.comand click on Web Blast to see video ofDuke shoot his Thompson!CLICK ON THE “WEB BLAST” LINK84 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Whispers ®.302 .338 .375 .416Whispers ®are developments of SSK Industries,which operate at sub-sonic and medium velocitymodes. 22 through 50 caliber. Custombarrels for Contenders, Encores, bolt guns,semi-autos and the cans to keep them quietare available. Over 400 calibers. Custom andproduction AR barrels, uppers and completeguns. Convert your guns or ours.SSK Industries590 Woodvue LaneWintersville, OH 43953Tel: 740-264-0176www.sskindustries.comUntitled-1 1TAFFIN TESTSContinued from page 36favorite .45 ACP handload consistingof the RCBS #45-201 SWC over 7.0grains of Unique proved to be accurate,with a group of 13/8" for five shots at20 yards with a muzzle velocity of 972fps. However the same bullet over 5.0grains of Bullseye clocked at 895 feetper second and delivered an amazinggroup of 5/8" for six shots. This gunmay not go back!The Hawk is Iver Johnson’s Commander-sized1911 and, except forthe sights and shorter frame and slide,it has all of the same features as theEagle. The sights are again excellent.They are combat style mounted indovetails and provide a large black,easy to see sight picture. The rear sightis “melted.” The test version came inthe matte finish which makes it a naturalfor packing in a Leather Arsenalinside the waistband holster.Of the three test guns, the Hawkhad the worst trigger pull at 8 pounds,which is way too heavy. Even so I managedto get some excellent groups withit. The best factory loads for the Hawkproved to be Black Hills 230 JHP +Pat 926 fps and the CCI Blazer 230 FMJat 888 fps. Both grouped into 11/2". Mytwo handloads with the RCBS #45-201also did well with groups at 13/4" or less.The Hawk retails for $594 in the testversion matte finish, and $625 with ahigh polish blue finish.Classic StyleThat brings us to the third test gun, the1911-A1. This is a basic matte-finishedGI-style .45 ACP with extended gripsafety and standard hammer and trigger.The sights are fixed, with a black squarenotch rear sight mated up with a slantedpost front sight, both of which combineto give an excellent sight picture. Theslide to frame finish is excellent with nodiscernible play whatsoever. The triggerpull at 63/4 pounds is the best of the three,however this is still too heavy. The sightswere right on the money for my eyes andhold, with the best factory groups running13/8" for five shots at 20 yards. Thiswas accomplished with both the BlackHills 230 FMJ at 880 fps and the Cor-Bon 200 JHP+P at 1,016 fps.The Iver Johnson 1911-A1 seems tobe an exceptional bargain at an MSRPof $532. The GI Commander version isdubbed the Trojan, and retails for $500.It appears Iver Johnson has done anexcellent job in coming up with a variedassortment of .45 ACPs at very affordableprices. They also offer .22 conversionunits for both the fullandCommander-sized .45s.*12/15/09 3:51:03 PMFor more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlWWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 85

GLOCK 22 RTFContinued from page 61law enforcement agency in the nation toadopt the G22 RTF. This is the countysurrounding Pensacola and its famedEmerald Coast and Navy base. Witha history of hurricanes and duties thatinclude beach patrol, boat patrol andeven deputies on jet-skis, these folksknow about guns in slippery hands.They had adopted the Glock for itssuperb resistance to salt water and saltair corrosion (Tenifer, polymer, all ofthat) and had gone to the RTF primarilybecause it gave their deputies a bettergrasp on their service pistols.The RTF treatment also includes thefirst change in slide serration pattern inGlock’s history. The classic straight upand down grasping grooves are replacedin the RTF format with deep, wide semicircularcuts that really do seem to allowa firmer grasp. Escambia County SO,like many law enforcement agencies,teaches a firm racking of the slide ratherthan the use of the slide lock lever duringreloads, and between inclement weatherand terribly humid summers in the inlandpart of the county, they’ve seen a definiteimprovement in positive slide manipulationwith their new RTF guns.AccuracyIn the last 20 years, the G22 hasbecome the most popular police servicepistol in the United States. Withthat many people using them, the manufacturerhas had mega “beta testing,”and has been tweaking the gun toimprove its performance the wholetime. That definitely showed whenI tested this latest and most evolvedspecimen of the breed.From the 25-yard bench I testedG22 RTF serial number NBW997 withloads from three respected manufacturers,encompassing the three mostpopular bullet weights in the .40 caliber.The 180-gr. subsonic load was theoriginal formula for .40 S&W when itwas introduced in 1990, and is probablystill the most commonly used. Itwas represented in this test by Federal’scost effective American Eagle practiceammo, to wit the Total Metal Jacket loadwith lead-free primers, product codeAE40N1. Ammo with lead free primersisn’t famous for accuracy, but this stuffdid fine in the test gun, putting all fiveshots into 2.30", and the best three inthe tightest such cluster of the test, measuringonly 0.95". As per my usual protocol,I measured each group once for allfive to get an idea what an experiencedshooter could do with it from a solid restunder calm conditions, and again for thebest three to factor out enough humanerror to get a good idea of the inherentmechanical accuracy of the gun/ammocombination. All groups were measuredto the nearest 0.05", from the centers ofthe farthest-apart bullet holes.The 165-gr. JHP loads at 1,140 or sofps have done very well in law enforcement.40s, including the Speer GoldDot in that configuration. The Gold Dotgave us the tightest five-shot group ofthis test at 1.90". The best three shotswere 1.25" apart.The 155-gr. JHP at 1,200 fps hasproven to be a devastating load inthis caliber, by the Border Patrol forexample. It was represented here byWinchester Silvertip, which has workedextremely well in the shootings I’mfamiliar with. It’s the most accurate loadin my little Glock 27, but this particularGlock 22 RTF didn’t like it as much,delivering a five shot group of 3" and abest three of 2.1".I’ve been shooting Glock 22s sincethey came out some 20 years ago. Thefirst ones were not at all impressive foraccuracy. That probably had at least asmuch to do with the ammo as with theguns: the .40 S&W cartridge has neverearned the reputation for gilt-edgedaccuracy that its derivative round, the.357 SIG, did almost from the beginning.However, Glock has learned a lotabout building .40s in the interveningscore of years, and the ammo industryhas learned a lot about that particularcartridge. This new test pistol, the G22RTF, pleased me with its accuracy.Under 2" for five rounds of a streetprovenduty Gold Dot, hand held off thebench? I can’t bitch about that at all.Bottom LineMy test crew and I put hundredsof rounds through this G22 RTF andwe experienced no malfunctions. Thisfourth generation Glock grip framemay not be for every shooter or everyneed, but it serves a real purpose. Theimproved grasping grooves, in myopinion, are worthy of becoming standardon all Glocks.The manufacturer’s motto is “GlockPerfection.” That’s a lot to live up to.After all, as we Americans say, “Nothing’sperfect.” Perhaps “Quest ForPerfection” would describe it better,because Glock has been good aboutchanging small details that make significantimprovements. That corporatephilosophy is incorporated in the RTFseries, which Glock is actually callingthe RTF2, a designation I would understandbetter if I knew what the hellRTF1 might have been.Stay tuned, because a fifth generationof standard-sized Glock grip-frame ison the horizon. In 2010, look for Glockswith interchangeable backstraps allowingthe shooter to adjust the shape, the feeland the trigger reach on thePre-eminent Polymer Pistol.*For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.html86 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

lst gaboonContinued from page 75his own bushing and to contain therecoil spring he created a plug perfectlymatching the slash cut and inserts fromthe rear of the slide.To disassemble the Gaboon you pullthe slide rearward until the takedownnotch is lined up with the slide lock,remove the slide lock while holding theslide and then ease the slide forward,being careful to grab the recoil springand spring guide as tension is released.After the slide is removed you pushthe recoil spring plug to the rear andout of the slide. This allows access tothe Gaboon’s barrel bushing which hasthree small holes permitting the bushingto be rotated with a pointed object incase it is too tight to turn by hand.engaged. What I am still getting used tois that since the slide cannot be locked Isometimes have to place my thumb onthe rear of slide when holstering. TheGaboon is available with or without theNeXt modification.The Gaboon also comes standardwith LST’s aluminum grips. They areavailable in a variety of colors and havethree ball-cut grooves running verticallyup the grip. I really liked these gripsand they fit flush with the S&A magwell.However, I’m addicted to CrimsonTrace laser grips. So I eventuallyreplaced them with the neat looking,digital camo grips Crimson Trace providesto Kimber. I liberated a set andwith apologies to Dustin and Kimber;they now reside on my Gaboon. Youcannot purchase these grips fromCrimson Trace but you can get themdirectly from Kimber.The result is a deadly and dependable pistol that,like the Gaboon viper, will lay in wait until calledupon to strike at some aggressive troll.It’s a comprehensive modificationdramatically changing the profile ofthe pistol and requires the meticulousconstruction of a new bushing and thetime consuming manufacture of a newplug. It also shortens the cycling distanceand time. To compensate for this,an 18-pound Commander spring andCommander spring guide are used for5" 1911s. You may be wondering if thisis a totally cosmetic alteration. It’s not.On two occasions I’ve seen a 1911barrel bushing rotate away from therecoil spring plug during firing. Theresult was the recoil spring and plugbeing ejected from the pistol. In bothinstances this was likely due to improperassembly, but in any case it happenedand it rendered the pistol inoperative. Itcannot happen with the Gaboon.The Gaboon is also easier to cram intoa holster. Though this advantage maybe slight, it does exist and is noticeable.Sharpening the muzzle profile of anyhandgun would do the same thing. If youhave ever tried to shove a square-nosedGlock into an inside the pants holster,you will appreciate the ease at which aGaboon goes to leather — or its den.And of course, “Life’s too short tocarry an ugly gun.”NeXtAnother modification incorporatedinto my Gaboon was the NeXt featuremade popular by Novak’s. By bevelingthe bottom edge of the slide just forwardof the thumb safety, the slide canbe manipulated (the pistol can be loadedor unloaded) while the thumb safety isThe other components making upa Gaboon read like a laundry list ofthe best 1911 parts you can find. Theslide is STI and the frame is from Caspianwith an S&A magwell and gripsafety. There’s an Ed Brown slide stop,ejector and extractor, a Grieder triggerset to your desired pull weight, Wolfesprings, a Kart barrel, commanderhammer and Novak Practical GripScrews. The Gaboon comes standardwith a carry bevel package, a Parkerizedfinish, Novak sights and a price tagof $1,895 — cheap. Other options toinclude different finishes are availablefor a few dollars more.Like his father, Dustin believes, morethan anything else, a fighting pistol hasto work every time you pull the trigger;function first, accuracy second. But reliabilityand accuracy can coexist and theydo in the Gaboon. According to Dustin,that is best accomplished with a barrelbushing and standard recoil managementas opposed to any of those fancy guiderodcontraptions. Dustin also showed mehow he cuts the chamber in a .45 ACP.Believe it or not, it’s not perfectly round!As I watched Dustin work thechamber on my Gaboon I asked him,“How do you know when you get itright?” He nonchalantly replied, “It’ssuch a minute alteration I doubt anythingless than a machine could tell it has beendone but it’s what allows an accurate1911 to feed anything you put in it. Dadshowed me how to do it ... it’s just feel.”Feel.Like back in the old days whencraftsmen passed down the secrets of88 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

-Doug Koenig

their trade, Dustin Bonar is a third generationgun builder who is not onlycarrying on the techniques and secretshis father and grandfather taught him— but doing something more. Dustinis an innovator who has modernizedthe 1911. He is an inventor who hasdesigned a tactical, tri-rail rifle actionthat will soon be available, and he hasalso conceptualized a uniquely concealableshoulder holster for one ofhis favorite carry guns, a .50 caliberDesert Eagle.A TestLate that evening when I left LST,it was comforting to know the son of adeparted friend has found his way andis carrying on his father’s legacy. I alsofelt a bit closer to Joe even though hehas been gone for a while now. Duringthe drive a friend called to tell me abouta concealed carry match at a local rangethe next day. I thought it ironic afteryears of carrying and competing witha 1911 built by Joe Bonar, I wouldhave this opportunity the day after hisson handed me a 1911 he had built. Ieagerly agreed to attend.I blazed through the course of fireusing real defensive ammunition, andthe Gaboon never hiccupped or missed.I had Dustin install XS 24/7 Sights asopposed to the Novak sights, and theystood out like the rostral horns on theviper the pistol is named after. And theywere as quick to acquire as a wart onJennifer Anniston’s nose. Dave Biggersat XS Sights frequently says, “Friendsdon’t let friends carry target sights.” Icompletely agree.When the scores were tallied, theGaboon and I came out on top. I wishedI could have called Joe and braggedabout his son’s pistol. Since that wasn’tan option I called Dustin to tell him howthe Gaboon performed. He didn’t seemtoo surprised. I commented, “I guessyour Daddy did show you all his tricks.”“Yeah,” was Dustin’s somewhat melancholyanswer, yet I thought I couldhear him blushing over the phone. Aftera brief pause Dustin continued, “ButI got a few tricks of my own I nevershowed dad.”That looks to be the case and Joewould be proud. Right now I imagineJoe Bonar is hunkered over a workbench out behind the pearly gates,painstakingly grinding away on St.Peter’s 1911. Call it Joe’s penance forall his, lets say … adventures. I cansee Joe handing over the finished pistolto the elder apostle and, as the gatekeeperlooks adoringly at the custom1911, Joe will proudly proclaim, “Myboy Dustin builds a damn fine 1911too, but I hope it’s a longtime before you get one.”*For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.html90 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

d-1 1 12/9/09 3:23:08 P

swensonContinued from page 49even say what happened next? Sufficeto say that Swenson resides in my safenow, and is featured in this article —along with pistolsmith John Harrison’sstunning tribute to this great master.Which brings us to the guns at hand.But WhyJohn said, “I’d wanted a Swensonsince I was a young guy, but familyneeds and reality reared their heads and itdidn’t happen.” Don’t we all understandthat one? Once John began to “pistolmith”as he says, he always thought he’dlike to try to build his own version of aSwenson gun, a tribute piece, if you will.“What if Swenson had lived anotherten or 15 years and seen the rush of1911 products available today? Howwould the ‘Swenson’ pattern pistol haveevolved,” pondered John? In Armand’sera, if you wanted a part, chances weregood you had to make it from scratchor modify an existing factory part. Asa matter of fact, Armand’s ambi-safetywas one of the very first custom 1911parts, and is still considered one ofthe very best in its class. But Armandwelded-up barrels, squeezed slides andpeened rails to get better fits, thingsmost ‘smiths today would never do.”Nonetheless, today’s custom 1911s,and even the higher-end factory versions,need to pay homage to the greatman. While others also lead the way, itwas Swenson’s tenacious willingnessto stick to it, no-compromise, “it shootsor it doesn’t go out of the shop” attitudethat led his drive toward custom touchesthat changed the functionality of hisguns. His work was geared toward amore accurate and reliable 1911, but hestill put touches aboard simply for thefun of it, “For the eye,” as he told me allthose years ago. John Harrison felt hecould do Armand justice — with somemodern twists.Modern Touches“What if is how I justified the incorporationof a beavertail grip safety, beveledcorners and edges, an oversizedmatch barrel and a front sight featuringa steeper, improved ramp profile,”explained John. “I thought these wereworthy features Mr. Swenson wouldhave incorporated had he had them inhis time.” John also explained that as headded more modern touches, he nonethelessstrived to stay within the style ofthe earlier time.“I tried not to take away from theSwenson-esque feel of the pistol,” addedJohn. “I resisted the temptation to addanything that might be considered currentdesign fad, yet take full advantage ofmodern craftsmanship and technology.”In Swenson’s day, he would tighten92 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

frame-to-slide fit by “squeezing” theslide (which resulted in cracked slidesat times) and peening the frame rails,then filing everything to fit snugly.Today, it’s becoming common to TIGweld the four corners of the frame railsand then machine them to fit.In the 1970s, Armand didn’t haveaccess to the selection of over-sizedmatch barrels we have today. Armandwelded the hood and lower lugs asneeded, then added a “barrel positioner”to force the rear of the Colt barrel intoa consist lock-up. Today, John simplyused a Kart National Match barrel andbushing. And there’s no doubt Armandwould have done a similar thing had hebeen able to.And what’s a “Swenson” withoutS&W sights? John agreed and mountedan adjustable sight from a K-frameS&W revolver. But unlike Armand, whoused to often simply fill the dovetailwith pieces from an old sight and peenthem into place, John TIG welded theold dovetail closed and re-machinedthe notch. Easier, cleaner — and I’ll betsomething Armand would have donehad he had TIG.The hand-matted top strap and Frenchborder were de-rigueur, but while Johnhad offered French border for years, thehand matting was something new.“In this case, I did it the same waySwenson did it,” explained John. “Therough textured pattern was created bystriking the top of the slide with a largecoarse-toothed file, working from differingdirections until consistent, completecoverage was achieved.”According to John this was all greatfun for the first three our four minutesand then it got old in a hurry. “Eventhough it was a bit of a pain, I stilldecided to texture the rear of the slide,extractor head and ejector, where Mr.Swenson used to serrate or checkerthem in the originals. It just seemedto match up better with the top strap,”said John.John’s pistol offers other “shades ofSwenson” ideas. While Armand onlybuilt a few pistols with beavertail gripsafeties, John used a King Gun Worksmodel and re-worked it to keep the vintagelook. An understanding customerof John’s donated an original Swensonambi-safety for the project, to keepthings in order.While Swenson hand-checkered hisguns, today’s ‘smith takes advantage ofmachines to cut checkering. It’s moreaccurate, and saves wear and tear onwrists, hands and fingers. John finishedthe initial machine cuts by hand, and Iknow Armand would have been happywith the final results. I noticed on myoriginal gun there are almost micro-scopic over-runs and tiny glitches inthe checkering. Shades of the man’sown hands, and proof it was done thehard way. You can feel him “in the gun”when you hold it.California ClassicJohn finished the frame with thealmost trade-marked square triggerguard. While Armand did build someguns without it (mine, for instance), mosthad it and it adds to the charm. Originalcheckered Colt grips, a hand checkeredrecoil spring plug and magazine catch,beveled mag well and a flat main springhousing round-out that distinctive look.The hard chrome finish (done by MetaloyIndustries of Berryville, Ark. forJohn’s Tribute Gun) is the benchmarkfinish of a Swenson pistol. John feels thisis also one of the reasons a Swenson gunseems to last forever.At the S.H.O.T. Show in 2008someone remarked to John how hethought the Swenson Tribute pistol hadturned out wonderfully, and that Johnhad done a terrific job on it. John told meafter a little thought, he was reminded ofthe saying, “How easy it is to look like ahero, when you stand on theshoulders of giants.”*For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlSplit more seconds.Shave even more time off your scores by reloading with newAutoComp BALL POWDER ® propellant from Winchester. ®Formulatedwith the ideal burn rate for auto pistol calibers, AutoComp allowsgreater gas flow to your gun’s compensator for faster shooting.6231 Robinson • Shawnee Mission, KS 66202 • Phone 913-362-9455 • www.wwpowder.comWinchester is a registered trademark of Olin Corporation and is used with permission.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 93

of Spartan’s knives are proudly made intheir North Carolina shop with only USoriginmaterials.A variety of colors and finishes alsoadd diversity to the Spartan line, withofferings for both field and tacticaluse. Handles are made of time-provencanvas Micarta and can be had in black,green or tan. SpartaCoat blade finishes(developed for Spartan by IonBond) areoffered in Black or Dark Earth, and youcan get a Black or Coyote Tan MIL-SPEC Molle adjustable ballistic nylonsheath to match. Spartan also offersa heat-formed Kydex sheath in basicBlack or Coyote Brown formed andfitted by Okuden, one of the better smallcustom Kydex shops in the US. “Westrive to provide our customers kniveswith a top notch finish, grip and sheathoptions meeting or exceeding theirexpectations,” said Carey.As mentioned, Spartan’s designsare diverse. The popular Ares modelwas designed by Iovito with inputfrom Special Forces soldiers and othergovernmental agencies. The Ares(10.4" overall, 5.4" blade) is a doublegrounddrop point with an aggressiveblade angle that not only excelsas a fighting knife but can handle awide variety of field chores due to itshighly functional blade design. Theangle of the blade places it in line withthe user’s hand, allowing full use ofthe upswept angle of the main edge,making for effective cutting duringuse. The Ares also features a diamondcheckered handle for improved gripthat is further enhanced with a deepfinger groove choil below the guard.A choke-up finger groove is locatedbelow the blade which works greatwhen heavy duty slicing is required.The Ares covers all bases.World’s Finest Magazines“OPTIMUM”... THE WORLD’S BEST MAGAZINESMEC-GAR is proud to offer “Optimum” - our newand unique series of high capacity flush-fit pistolmagazines.The new design of the magazine housing andinterlinked magazine components, together witha special Anti-Friction Coating offer far superiorperformance even in difficult operationalenvironments.The increased firepower of MEC-GAR “Optimum”magazines can be further raised by an optional “PlusTwo” adapter. “Plus Two” is a new set of hollowbutt-plate and inner base to raise the capacity of theMEC-GAR “Optimum” magazine by 2-rounds andstick out only 5/8” from the butt of the pistol!Available For: Beretta 92FS 9mm 18rd / 20rdBeretta 96FS .40S&W 13rd / 15rdPara-Ordnance P14 .45ACP 14rdSIG P226 9mm 18rd / 20rdSIG P226 .40S&W 13rd / 15rdSpringfield XD 9mm 18rdSpringfield XD .40S&W 13rdTaurus PT92 9mm 18rd / 20rdTaurus PT100 .40S&W 13rd / 15rdMec-Gar USA, Inc., 905 Middle Street, Middletown, CT 06457Tel: (800) 632-4271 Fax: (860) 635-1712 www.mec-gar.comMore FightThose who like the forward bladegeometry of the Ares but like a littlemore “fight” in their fighting knife willappreciate the Erebus model. Over aninch longer than the Ares, the Erebus(11.5" overall, 6.5" blade) features afiendish tanto blade design. The Japanesetanto is one of the most wickedlyeffective fighting blades ever developedand Spartan’s modernistic takeon it is a thing of beauty. Not as effectivefor field use as more traditionalblade styles, the tanto still offers agood degree of function and if selfdefenseis your main thrust, this knifeis for you.The Horkos (10.875", 5.7" blade)is another bad boy in the Spartan line.Carey states, “This knife was commissionedby the Combat Weapons Teamof the United States Military Academy(West Point, NY), with custom laseretching to honor the graduating class.This blade is designed to be a greatall around combat/utility knife.” TheWWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 95

V I D E ORobert Dunlap - Instructor, Master Gunsmith©Copyright American Gunsmithing Institute 2009.All rights reserved. No part of this video may be copied,reproduced or transmitted for any reason without thewritten permission of the copyright holder.Serial #03091004DVD #1004This DVD Covers:Feed Ramp DesignHeadspaceGas SystemsCartridge Stop TimingTrigger RepairsRanging RevolversTrouble Shooting TechniquesBONUS FEATURES:Introduction ToMachine Shop CourseStudent InterviewsDo you needA Gun Belt?If you carry a gun, YOU DO!THE BELTMAN’SHAND MADE BELTS ARE TWO LAYERSOF TOP QUALITY BULL HIDE (NOT COWHIDE) FOR FIRMNESS AND DURABILITY,AND WILL EASILY SUPPORT THE WEIGHTOF A FULL SIZE FIREARM AND ACCESSO-RIES. SUITABLE FOR CONEALED CARRY,COMPETITION, OR DRESS WEAR, OPTIONSINCLUDE: VELCRO LINING, TAPERING,STIFFENERS, BUCKLE SELECTION ETC.AVAILABLE IN THREE WIDTHS, FOUR COL-ORS, AND EDGED TO PERFECTION FROM$69.95. ALSO OFFERED IN HORSE HIDE,SHARK, AND GENUINE ELEPHANT.(919) 387-1997www.thebeLtman.netHorkos blade design, with its relieveddistal spine, is radical compared tomost, but purely functional in fieldor combat. The drop point blade candeliver all sorts of camp duty whilethe strengthened double-ground tip canwreak havoc on anything that gets inits way.If field use is a top priority the Nyxmodel (10.2" overall, 5.2" blade) willplease the toughest of hard users. TheNyx’s deep-bellied drop point blade canhandle everything you’d expect of afield knife, from shaving and splitting toslicing and dicing. Not to be overlookedfor combat, however, the Nyx blade isdouble ground for excellent penetrationand also features an aggressive bladeangle like its larger siblings. This knifeis an all-round performer sized just rightfor easy carry and accessibility.The Enyo is the smallest of theSpartans and the only neck or insidethe waist band knife in the line. Ifyou need a lightweight means of selfdefenseand/or everyday cutter, theEnyo (6.25" overall, 2.7" blade) willserve you well. Typically speaking,neck knives are back-ups to largerknives or are used when carrying alarge knife is not an option. The Enyo’sshort drop point blade can get youout of a pinch in a combat situationif need be, but can also slice up somepara-cord and vittles along the way.The Enyo comes with a Kydex sheathand chain for neck carry, para-cord forlashing to gear, and a snap-off IWBloop for other toting options.Building An ArmyAll of Spartan’s knives are namedafter Greek gods and goddesses,which leaves this bright young knifemanufacturer ample room for growth.Spartan’s plans are to build the companywith a slow but steady streamof additions. VP Carey states, “Weplan to add two to three knives peryear. We produced two new knivesfor 2009 (Enyo and Horkos) and havetwo more in the design and test phasecurrently. We are also working on atitanium, frame-lock folding knife for2010. Our folder will be unique andvery functional. Our main objective isimproving and maintaining our highquality designs and craftsmanship.”Judging from how far and howquickly Iovito and Carey have broughtSpartan Knives to this point, the futurelooks extremely bright for this hardworkingand intelligent team.Prices for Spartan knives rangefrom $150 for the Enyo (complete withsheath); to the Ares, Erebus, Nyx, andHorkos, which run from $328 to $360depending on color coatingand sheath system selected.*For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlFREE" How-To "GunsmithingDVD Video!Being ACertifiedGunsmithPuts Freedom &ProfessionalGunsmithing CourseIntroductory LessonBecome A Certified GunsmithIn As Little As 3 Months- GUARANTEED!AMERICANGUNSMITHING INSTITUTEControl In Your Life!Get Started InProfessional GunsmithingMake Money Part-time,Full-time, Or As A RetirementIncome Doing What You Love!You will learn how you can get Certified as aGunsmith in as little as 90 days throughAGI’s Exclusive Professional GunsmithingHome Study Course taught step-by-step byMaster Gunsmiths on DVD video. It’s the ONLYProfessional Gunsmithing Course using this upto-dateand proven method. *The informationpackage & 1 hour DVD are FREE, you pay just$3.97 for the priority mail shipping, which is FULLYREFUNDABLE! Ad Code: AH0310Call Today!1-800-797-0867AGI AMERICAN GUNSMITHING INSTITUTEADDED BONUS! You will automatically receive aTwo Month FREE Trial Membership in the Gun Club OfAmerica which includes the GCA monthly newsletter andGUNTECH monthly VIDEO MAGAZINE on DVD! An additional$60 value! - yours FREE with option to continuemembership at only $29.95 per month. Call us today!96 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010*

SIXGUNNERContinued from page 46FNH provides two easily interchangeablebackstraps for the FNP-40, one curvedand one with a flat contour. I normallyprefer flat backstraps on semiauto pistols,so I quickly changed the rounded versionwhich was installed at the factory forthe flat backstrap and I never found anyreason to try the alternative.Even with a 14-round magazine,the grip frame measures just over 1"in width and feels very comfortable tome, with a grip frame width semi-beavertailat the top; this aids greatly in thefeeling of comfort as well as makingthe FNP-40 very controllable and easyto shoot. Even with my relatively shortfingers I have no problem reaching thetrigger when the FNP-40 is in its initialdouble action mode.The FNP-40 operates double actionfor the first shot and then subsequentshots are fired in the single action mode.In SA mode the trigger pull measures4-3/4 pounds. There’s no provision forcarrying the FNP-40 with the hammercocked as with the 1911, but it’s intendedto be carried with the hammer down.Unless the hammer is deliberately cockedbefore firing the first shot, its DA andsubsequent shots are single action. Oncethat first shot is fired, you can press thede-cocking lever downward which allowsthe hammer to go forward and places thepistol in a safe mode. That de-cockinglever, by the way, is ambidextrous.ShootableThe FNP-40 comes equipped withexcellent sights with both front and rearsights set in a dovetail. The front sightis a tapered forward square post with awhite dot inletted into the face, whilethe rear sight has a square notch witha white dot on each side. They’re veryeasy to see and pick up quickly. Eithersight can be adjusted for windage by tappingthem in either direction in the dovetail.For my eyes and hold, the sightswere right on with most loads for bothwindage and elevation.With its black grip frame and stainlesssteel slide, the FNP-40 is an attractivepistol and these good looks are furtherenhanced by the use of a Commanderstylehammer. The trigger guard is largeenough to allow the use of gloves whenshooting. There are some semiauto pistolswith a trigger guard so small thebottom of my trigger finger is irritatedwhen a large number of rounds havebeen fired. This does not happen withthe FNP-40 as there is about 1/4" clearancebetween the bottom of my triggerfinger and the inside of the trigger guard.It’s also refreshing to find there are nowarning labels on this pistol. On the leftside we find “.40 S&W” “FNP-40” andthe FN logo; while the right side of theCALL 1(800)SA2-1911 “the MAG GUIDE people”when only the BEST will do!ORDER DIRECT and SAVE!$78.95 A L$36.95 A LGovernment Model/Officers’ ModelMag GuideAvailable:Flat/ArchedSS/BL 20 LPINEW: Flat now availablein SmoothAlso Available:Grizzly Flat-SS/BL $89.95$99.00AmbidextrousMagazine ReleaseGov’t Model,Officers’ Model &Para-Ordnance. SS/BLNEW–Slim LineMag Guides & Grips w/screws & bushingsL available with Lanyard Loop add $10A available in AluminumColor Catalog AvailableSame Day ShippingAppropriate shipping chargesDealers Welcome100% Customer Satisfaction$95.95Full Para Mag Guide(For P14/P16 only)Available in:Flat/Arched-SS/BL 20 LPI$36.95“E-Z Fit HiGrip” ® Safety.250 radius-Series70 & 80 .220 radiusS70 for Springfields“PalmSwel”/Standard(jig available)Mainspring HousingAvailable in:Gov’t Model, Officers’ Model,all Para-Ordnance. 20 LPIFlat/Arched-SS/BL(P10/P12 flat only)(flat smooth availablefor all of the above)Prices starting at $17.50S & A Custom 1911 GripsExotic Woods & MicartaStandard & Slim LineDD, FC & SmoothWWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 97A LP.O. Box 299 • Copeville, Texas USA 75121(800) SA2-1911 • Fax (972) 853-0526www.smithandalexander.comHours: M-F, 9am-5pm CST~27 Years Experience~Excellent Selection. World Class Makers. Immediate Delivery.www.BOBneAlcustOmknives.cOmemail: Bob@bobnealcustomknives.comP. O. Box 20923 Atlanta, GA 30320 Phone: 770.914.7794 Fax: 770.914.3610

231.26454 American Handgunner_MAR_APR10.pdf 1 11/4/09 3:20 PMFREE!Everything 19111911#5CATALOGOur Newest 1911 Catalog includes just what you need for building, maintaining andshooting the most popular pistol in history. No rifle, shotgun, or “ other pistol” stuff.Packed with barrels, frames, slides, safeties, triggers, springs, grips,and more, plus all the tools you need to install them. The highestquality products from today’s most respected, custom 1911 suppliers.And, all the sights and scope mounts you’ll need for these fine pistolsand the gear you need when you head to the range or field.The Brands you know and trust: Ajax, Briley, Ed Brown, Brownells,Caspian, Clark, Cylinder & Slide, EGW, Essex Arms, Heinie, Hi-Viz,Kart, Les Baer, McCormick, Navidrex, Nighthawk Custom, Novak,Nowlin, MGW, Millett, Milt Sparks, Pachmayr, Rescomp, Safariland,Schuemann, Smith & Alexander, STI, Storm Lake, Trijicon,Truglo, Weigand, Wilson Combat, Wolff, XS and lots more.FREE to all 1911 enthusiasts. Discount pricing available. Everything we sell is 100% GUARANTEED - Period.800-741-0015 brownells.comSource Code: CJHslide is marked with “FNH USA FredericksburgVA” and “MADE IN USA.”As with most semiautos, the FNP-40has a rail in front of the trigger guardfor installing a light. For my use Iinstalled a Streamlight M6X whichallows two options, a flashlight anda red laser sight. It’s quite easily andquickly attached or removed.For my eyes and hold,the sights were right onwith most loads for bothwindage and elevation.There are three controls on the leftside of the FNP-40. From front to backthese are the takedown lever, the sliderelease and the de-cocker. The last isambidextrous. As a right-hander, I foundthe de-cocker easy to reach with mythumb without having to change my grip.The magazine release is found on the leftside at the juncture of the front strap andtrigger guard and with my short thumbit’s necessary for me to slightly changemy grip to be able to push the magazinerelease. When the button is depressed themagazine drops freely and easily.The FNP-40 comes in a lockableplastic case, with not one, nor even two,but three magazines. With the FNP-40fully loaded and two extra magazinesthere are only seven rounds left in a fullbox of .40 S&W ammunition. That’ssome pretty impressive and easily carriedfirepower.The 300Six varieties of ammunition fromBlack Hills, Hornady and Remingtonwere used in the FNP-40, with slightlyover 300 rounds fired. Hornady 155-gr.XTP delivered 1,113 fps and was thefastest of the bunch. The Black Hills 180-gr. JHP delivered a decisive 974 fps andwould be an outstanding self-defenseload. The functioning was 100-percentperfect, with no problems whatsoever.For me, firing a full magazine takes anawful lot of concentration and except fora military application it’s not likely thismany rounds would ever be needed, eventhough it’s comforting to have them.Test-firing was done at both 10 and20 yards with 13 rounds, and a more reasonablefour shots at seven yards. TheFNP-40 was shot both with my forearmsresting on a sandbag and also from abraced standing position. The defensivetypefour-shot groups were all 11/2" or lessand shot right to point of aim. What morecould anyone desire in a semiautochosen for self defense?*For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.html98 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Shotshell Hunting LineThe Fiocchi Tundra Tungstencompound is the breakthroughinnovation in waterfowl hunting.Deforms like Lead, can be usedwith ALL chokes AND is non toxic.Available in 9.5 g./cc (superiorweight to Bismuth) and 12.5 g./cc(superior weight to lead).For the Fiocchi dealer near you,Call 417.449.1043 / visit www.fiocchiusa.com

TMCOLT COMEBACKContinued from page 552 Pack For$8.49Plus S/HFREE ShippingOn Orders of3 Packs Or MoreOur TUFF Orange QuickStripsstand out, even in low light, havethe edge when you need it most!See US at ShOT ShOw BOOTh #7006New 5 Round .38 & .44 Cal..17hMR .38/.357 .45 ACP.22 Rim Fire S&w .40 .475 Linebaugh.223 .41 Magnum .480 Ruger.30.06 .410 Shot Gun .500 Linebaugh.30-30 .44/.45/.460 .500 S&w.308 .45 Auto Rim 9mm.32/.327New 20 & 12 Gauge$19.99Plus s/HAvailable inOrange orBlack2 Pack for$12.49Plus s/HQuickStrip TM PouchWraps around beltsup to 1 3 /4”and isdesigned for use withone or two QuickStrips.Available in 4 sizes to fityour QuickStrips.Black or Coyote BrownOrder Online: www.tuffproducts.comOr Call: 877-883-37761060 Colorado Ave. Ste A. Chula Vista, CA 91911Tuff 2.5 x 7 ad 2 color.indd 1 12/2/09 7:50:39 AMbeing parkerized. However the backstraphas the original 1911 straightmainspring housing matched up withthe long trigger I prefer, and also hasthe flat-bottomed magazine with no padattached. I’m sure pads have their placein competition but I prefer this old style.One major change, and what I considermandatory, are the improved sights.The original 1911 sights are very tinyand hard to see; on this 21st-century versionthey are larger with a square notchrear sight matched up with a sloping postfront sight. These sights are also of thewhite dot style with one dot inlaid intothe front sight and one on each side ofthe rear sight. The rear blade is set in adovetail and is adjustable for windage,however as it came from the factorythis 1911 is basically dead on with mostloads I tried, and matches perfectly withmy eyes and hold.Trigger pull on this stainless steel1911 measured out at 45/8 pounds onthe RCBS Trigger Pull Scale, with nodiscernible creep. The fit of the slideto the frame is tight with just a veryslight side-to-side movement. Verticalserrations on the back of the slide aid incocking, and there are also vertical serrationson the flat mainspring housing.Grip panels are checkered hard rubberwith the rampant Colt logo.As expected, shooting this .45 ACPwas pure pleasure, and the results oftest-firing 10 factory loads are in theaccompanying chart. The average for 10different loads from 185 to 230 grainswas 15/8" for five shots at 20 yards. Bestresults were with the Black Hills 230JHP +P which clocked at 971 fps witha 1" group, and the Federal 230 Hydra-Shok for 884 fps and just slightly over1". This Colt comes with two sevenroundmagazines and a padded case.Government XSE .45 ACP RailModel: The first Colt is basically plain-Jane, however this one has all kinds ofextras. It has the same brushed stainlesssteel finish as well as the flat mainspringhousing and long trigger and of coursethe same interior features and .45 ACPchambering, however all similarity endsat this point. This pistol is designed forserious self defense with all the desirablefeatures many shooters want. Slideto frame fit is absolutely perfect withno movement whatsoever, yet the slidemoves very smoothly on the rails.Sights are fixed combat style of thethree white dot variety with both beingset in dovetails. The rear sight has alocking set-screw, is set low to the slide,and is melted so there are no sharpedges to catch on clothing. The slidehas deep diagonal serrations both frontand rear for easy cocking. Two eightroundmagazines are provided.Intensive personalized training in all aspects ofpractical shooting. Each course is designed toaccommodate all levels; beginners, intermediate oradvanced shooters wishing to increase their skillspeed shooting.Each course will be taught by World Class GrandMaster Shooting Instructors. The academy is locatedin the heart of central Florida near Walt DisneyWorld. Courses limited to eight students per class.Classes available all year:Web site: www.universalshootingacademy.comNOWYou can add PIZZAZZ to yourGOVERNMENT 1911TAURUS PT 1911 andBOBTAIL 1911 pistols too!The Perfect Gift for the Holidayswww.riograndecustomgrips.com303-330-2812Cylinder Base PinsRuger, Colt, and ReplicasBelt Mtn. Enterprises, Inc.P T 59714Phone & Fax 1-406-388-1396NEW! Big Game “PUNCH” Bulletswww.beltmountain.com100 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

The thumb safety is ambidextrous,the aluminum trigger has three weightlighteningholes bored through and ismatched with an enhanced Commanderstylehammer. The grip safety is a beavertail,hollowed at the top to allowit to ride high and not interfere withthe hammer. Grips are double diamondcheckered exotic wood, which appearsto be rosewood. An extra added featureis the machined-in rail found in front ofthe trigger guard to accept a flashlight.For our test I mounted the InsightTech-Gear XTI Procyon flashlightwhich slides easily onto the rail. Thislight has two switches allowing it to beeasily operated with either hand withoutchanging the grip. Pushing either switchup or down activates the light, but if theswitch is pushed down twice it becomesa strobe light. If you’ve ever experiencedthe wrong end of a strobe lightyou know how discomforting and disorientingit can be.To state it simply this is a realshooting machine! Even with the triggerpull of 51/2 pounds it shoots superbly.With the same 10 factory rounds as usedin the standard .45 Government Model,this pistol averaged 11/4" for the 10 differentloads with weights varying from185 to 230 grains. Groups under 1" wereaccomplished with both the Cor-Bon200 grain JHP +P at 1,055 fps and theFederal Hydra-Shok 230 JHP at 890 fps.Custom Government .38 Super:I’ve been a fan of the 1911 Colt sinceI bought my first WWII surplus GovernmentModel in 1957. I like them all,however none of them make the stringsof my heart sing like this one. Regularreaders know of my affinity for the .44Special in double action and single actionsixguns; it’s the cartridge of true connoisseurs.For me, the .38 Super is to semiautoswhat the .44 Special is to sixguns.Those who have the same feelingswill understand; those who don’t probablynever will. I think my fascinationwith the .38 Super started 50 years agowhen Jeff Cooper, who always pushedthe .45 ACP, published a picture of acustom .38 Super 1911 and stated as atrailgun it would shoot rings around any1911 chambered in .45 ACP, especiallyfor targets such as crows and coyotes.I have several .38 Supers from differentmanufacturers and custom gunsmiths,but I have always wanted,please don’t ask me to explain why, anickel-plated Colt .38 Super fitted withreal mother-of-pearl grips. I know whatyou’re thinking, so just stop it! This .38Super is not nickel-plated but ratherhigh polished stainless steel making iteven better, as stainless steel will neverflake and if it becomes scratched it iseasily re-polished. This gun will nevergo back and I have already orderedtwo sets of mother of pearl stocks fromEagle Grips. I got the real thing (pearl)for everyday use or as a Texas BarbequeGun, and an imitation set for heavydutywork if I’m ever so inclined, whichisn’t likely at this stage of my life.Other than the high polished stainlesssteel finish and .38 Super chamberingthis Colt pistol, which is markedCOLT CUSTOM on the left side ofthe slide, is the same basic semiauto asthe Government Model .45 ACP. Theslide to frame fit is as tight as the railmounted1911 and is also very smoothin operation The trigger pull measures51/4 pounds, and the grip panels are thesame exotic wood as found on the railmountedGovernment Model. Two nineroundmagazines are provided.Seven different factory loads rangingin weight from 100 to 130 grains weretest-fired in this beautiful .38 Super,with the average being just over 11/2" forfive shots at 20 yards The best shootingloads all came from Cor-Bon, with the125 DPX +P clocking 1,313 fps andgrouping in 13/8"; 115 JHP+P, 1,504 fpsand 11/2"; and the 100 Pow’RBall at1,651 fps and also 11/2".Colt is definitely back!*For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlDiscover the value ofreloading your ownammunition withStarline brass.Whether you shoot a lot or a little, youcan save some money by reloading.And it all starts with a durable, qualitymade case from Starline. Our brass ismade to use again and again, so whenyou reload, you can take advantage ofthis money saving benefit.Start reloading today with Starlinebrass because a great shot starts withStarline.NEW UNPRIMED BRASSCALIBER10 MM45 AUTO+P30 LUGER45 AUTO RIM30 MAUSER45 COLT Call or32 S&W LONG 45 GAPcheck32 H&R MAG 45 LONG COLT BLANK32-2045 S&W web SCHOFIELD site357 MAG45 SUPERfor357 SIG454 CASULL38 LONG COLT 45-70prices.38 SHORT COLT 45-90 (2.4)38 S&W45-100 (2.6)38 SUPER460 MAG38 SUPER +P 460 ROWLAND38 SUPER COMP 475 WILDEY MAG38 TJ475 LINEBAUGH380 AUTO50 AE38-4050 ALASKAN38-55 (2.080) 50-70 GOV’T38-55 LONG (2.125) 50-90 SHARPS40 S&W50-110 WIN40 SUPER500 LINEBAUGH40-65500 S&W MAG (R)41 COLT56-50 SPENCER (TAYLOR’S)41 MAG7.62X25 TOKAREV44 COLT9X2144 MAG9 MM LARGO44 RUSSIAN9 MM MAKAROV44 SPECIAL9 SUPER COMP (9X23)44-409 MM WIN MAG45 AUTOThis is a partial list.Call or check web site for acomplete list of products.ORDERFactory Directwww.starlinebrass.comor call 1-800-280-6660© 2010 Starline BrassWWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 101

GUNNYSACKRoy Huntington1911 FIXTUREIactually did it once — tweaked a 1911 frame to thepoint I couldn’t make it right again. My $39.95 Chinesevise proved too much for the aluminum frame I wasworking on. It was never right again, and I turned it intoa “cut-out” gun to show the workings of a 1911. That oneleft a mark.A sorta’ heavy box arrived, just today, by FedEx andafter opening, I found a heavy, blued metal thingy. Ipondered a bit but was confounded. Then the letter fromHeirloom Precision dropped out of the box. The “DearRoy” note from Jason Burton and Ted Yost explained itall. It’s actually a custom fixture you snug-up into a 1911grip frame (using built-in set-screws), clamping the framehandily from within. Then — and this is the nifty part— the solid steel rod can be scrunched intoyour vise as hard as you like, in virtuallyany position. It’s truly oneof those “Gads man, whydidn’t we think ofthis?” things. Ifonly I’d hadit back then.It’s about $79.95, is all steel and made in the good oldUSA. And tell me, honestly, if you file on 1911 frames, wouldyou rather spend $80 now or hundreds later on a messed-upframe with your name on it as the messer-upper? This reallyis one of those simple tools that suddenly make a pistolsmith’slife easier. Or for that matter, anyone who has evertaken his 1911 down to the frame-and-slide bits could usethis. Giving the old girl a good scrub? Do it right and don’trisk a catastrophe. Um, let me do the math here … $80 equalstwo bottles of decent burbon. Okay, I can live with that.For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlAPG Mission Statement:The American Pistolsmiths Guild Seal Of Approval is designed toset gold standards for the firearms and related industries. The “ApprovedSeal” will be placed on products having passed a rigorous testof function and quality which will raise the product above others in thesame field and class. These “sealed” products will be what others in thefield will have to equal or surpass in form, quality and function in orderto be held to the same or higher quality standard.The American Pistolsmiths Guild (APG) has been “sealing” the finestpistolsmiths in the nation for over twenty years. The Guild sets goldstandards for work, products and business procedures as each memberhas gone through rigorous grading, scrutiny, observation, and criticalexamination in order to become a member and is in constant pressureto keep their quality of work and business at the highest standard. TheAPG has gained the experience and has become a respected member ofthe firearms community as have its individual members.Products submitted for an APG Seal Of Approval will have to passtests which will seek answers to questions such as, “does the productperform the job for which it was intended?” Other questions such as,“Is the quality of the product such that it will have a long, useful lifegreater than anything else in the field,” “is the product ergonomicallydesigned for it to be used with comfort and ease for possibly long periodsof time,” and “is the product finished in such a way as to be pleasingto the eye?” Depending on the product and its use in commercethere may be specific questions designed to that particular product andits use.Now is the time for you as a supplier of fine products for the firearmsindustry to join many of the present Seal partners as: Brownells, AlphaPrecision, Ten Ring Precision, Gemini Customs, Kellube, Cominolli,FMG Publishing and D&L Sports to send a statement to all the endusers of your products.Firearm Enthusiast, be sure that you look for the APGSeal of Approval before you make your next firearmrelated purchase. The items Sealed by the APG have benreviewed by a committee of the APG membership and areof a QUALITY that they would use in their businesses.102 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

GUNNYSACKRoy HuntingtonZOMBIE TARGETSOkay, wait, don’t turn the page! Hear me out. Full timecop and Zombie Target guru-inventor “Joe” said hewas simply tired of the same old three bad guy targetshe qualified with for the past 20 years. “You know, therehad to be a good use for my college degree in graphicdesign,” he told me. “So I combined my art backgroundand shooting experience and … well … the zombies justcame to me naturally.”I’m not sure what that means, but nonetheless, here isZombie Bob. Beware though, he is, according to Joe, “Theonly target that will eat your brain.” Hey, I had sergeantslike that, and it may explain a lot about sergeants. Joemakes four Zombie Targets — Zombie Osama, ZombieSteve, Zombie Chuck and our friend here, Bob. I thinkZombie Osama is self-explanatory but I’m not sure aboutSteve, Chuck and Bob. But it does make we wonder whereJoe got the names from. Maybe we don’t want to meetthose fellows in a dark alley. Hey, they might eat our brains.You can also get a certified Zombie Hunting Permitwhich allows you no limits on zombies, but does remindyou to “Please decapitate and burn all remains.” Wepromise. There is also a nifty skull sticker with crosshairson it. Now I’m not usually a sticker kind of a guy,but this one now resides onSpartacus, our John Deeretractor. Zombies beware …Spartacus is alert — andhis loader and bucket willmake zombie-mush outof you, I’m sure. Mightmake the decapitatingpart easier too, now that Ithink about it.I took Zombie Bob into“Roy’s Backyard” here on our land and shot himfull of holes. He kept making faces at me and it wasobvious he was frustrated he couldn’t eat my brain. Ofcourse, maybe there’s not much left so it wasn’t worth theeffort on his part? Are zombies smarter than we think?Plus, Zombie Targets don’t look like regular humanbeings so all those pacifists who get upset about usshooting at “people” targets can be happy now. Just don’tget your brain eaten if you get some.For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlThe Bidding Starts Now. ® GunBroker.com ® is the world’s largest, most popular online firearms auction,with hundreds of thousands of firearms and accessories up for auction every day, and more being addedall the time. Handguns for law enforcement, self-defense, plinking, competition, collectors…they’re allhere. You’ll also find magazines, cleaning supplies, holsters and more, all at www.GunBroker.com.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 103

CustomCORNERCustom Corner features paid listings by the identified pistolsmiths. Many are members of the American PistolsmithsGuild and the American Handgunner Club 100. Advertising information is available from: American Handgunner,Adv. Dept., 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128; (858) 605-0218.Powder RiverPrecision, Inc.www.powderriverprecision.comFLETCHER CUSTOMPISTOLS, LLCRichard FletcherCustom work performedon 1911’s, Hi-Powers andS&W revolvers.Rockbridge Baths,VATel: (540) 460-6151info@fletchercustompistols.comwww.fletchercustompistols.comQuality and timely pistolsmithingSpecialized in: Springfield XD/XDM, 1911’s,Glocks and the Browning Hi-Power.(541) 403-2998(541) 403-2999PISTOLSMITHSwww.tusseycustom.come-mail: ttussey45@aol.com775-246-1533J.B. Custom, Inc.Custom Manufactured FirearmsMare’s Leg Lever Action Pistols,1894 Winchester Lever Action Rifles and Parts,1911 Pistols, 1873 Single Action Revolvers and More!See our Web Site www.jbcustom.comPhone: 260-338-1894Fax: 260-338-1585E-mail: jabjim@comcast.net16335 Lima Rd. #5, Huntertown, IN 46748WWW.DLSPORTS.COMCustom AR15’s, 1911’s,Precision Rifles,Accessories, Training,ITRC CompetitionExtreme DutyAR15 MagazinesNow Available!307.686.4008D&L Sports, Inc.PO Box 651Gillette, WY 82717er_River2.indd 1 6/16/09 7:27:17WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 105

: SPOTLIGHT CQD Mark 1New Formex WatchTRUGLOThe new TRUGLO Formex Watchcontains self-powered Tritiumlight sources and uses thesame proven technologyemployed by TRUGLOin its award winninghandgun, rifle, and archerysights. There is never a needfor batteries, or sunlightto charge it — it simplyglows!! For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlType EBLACKHAWK! MOD KnivesIntroducing the CQD Mark 1 TypeE, which is functionally identical tothe award winning CQD Mark 1. Featuringthe same high-strength button-lock mechanismand secondary safety recessed seatbelt/cord cutterand carbide glass breaker, the Type E has all the performanceof the original but is priced for every budget. MSRP is just $99.99.For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlGleneagleMessenger BagMaxpedition Hard Use GearNew from Maxpedition isthe Gleneagle MessangerBag (Large).Overall dimensions are:16.5x21x5.5". Made of1000-Denier water andabrasion resistant lightweight ballistic nylon fabric,the Gleneagle has a Dupont fabric protector for grimeresistance and easy maintenance. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlS.T.U.HolsterLawman LeatherGoodsIntroducing the only all-leathershoulder holster and harness that is99.9 percent resistant to all elementsthat tough military and LE Equipmentmust withstand. For more info:www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlBali-SongModel 51BenchmadeThe new Benchmade Model 51Bali-Song has a spring satch lockingsechanism, with a blade that is acrown modified spear-soint. Thehandles are black G10, hand-polishedhardware, with jeweled bluetitanium liners. The blade lengthis 4.25" and the overall weightcomes in at 3.3 oz. For more info:www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlLaser/Light PackageLaserLyteLaserLyte has paired its best selling Subcompact V2 laser andnew FlashLyte, to create the smallest laser and light combinationavailable. It is intimidation and recognition all in onepackage. This is a must have for any gun owner. For moreinfo: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlRuger 10-22Target StockArchangel ManufacturingConvert your Ruger 10-22 into the Archangel Accurized(ARS) Rifle (Advanced Rifle System). This stock is manufacturedentirely from mil-spec battle proven polymers. The stock allows theshooter to adjust length of pull on demand. The forearm mounted standardsling swivel stud accepts Harris type and ProMag bi-pods. For more info:www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.html106 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

For more information on seeing your product featuredin Spotlight contact, Steve Evatt (858) 605-0218.ND-3 Laser Designator Laser GeneticsThe ND-3 Laser Designator uses patented technology to create true night vision andturns your scoped rifle into a night hunter. Using a powerful, eye safe green laserdiode and a precision optical collimator, the ND-3 pairs with your scope and allowsyou to cast a bright beam of green laser light to fully illuminate targets of up to 250yards. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlModel AK-47C I.O. Inc.The I.O. Inc. AK-47C is a high quality rifle based on the famous AK-47 designin caliber 7.62x39 but made in the USA. These rifles have excellent precision.Only new US made precision barrels are used in themanufacture. Each rifle comes completein box with sling, accessoryset and manual.For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.html5-PackGun CaseCaseCruzerThe 5-Pack GunCase lets collectors,sportsmen, and lawenforcement professionalshit the skywaysand byways fully armed.Polyethylene foam absorbsthe blows of rough roadsand turbulent air flights.This case can store up to5 handguns and 10 magazines. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlUltrasonic Cleanand Lube SystemSonicSystemSalesTidoute MelonTesterGreat Eastern CutleryThe Tidoute Melon Tester Whittler,with 2nd Cut Burnt Stag Handles,supports a nickel silver pinnedshield that is a beauty. The knifehas 1095 high carbon steel, nickelsilver bolsters, brass liners and is aproud pattern in the Great traditionof Great Eastern Cutlery. For moreinfo: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlIntruder Style #105DeSantis HolstersThe Intruder is designed for bothconcealment and comfort. It is tuckableand adjustable for both heightand cant. The holster back consists oftop grain premium steer hide and theleather front component is finishedwith a supremely durable polyurethanefilm for lasting beauty. Each Intruder ismolded from genuine Kydex sheet toexact specifications. It is available forGlock Models 17/19/22/23/26/27.For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlIntroducing an Ultrasonic Handgun Clean and Lube System thatreally meets the needs of the serious shooter. It can accommodatetwo full size semiautos or a 6" revolver. This system hasenough Crest Ultra-sonics premium, non-hazardous, odorless,detergents included to process about 150 guns. For more info:www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlSport 600Laser RangefinderBushnell Outdoor ProductsThe new Sport 600Laser Rangefinder fromBushnell offers performanceand value for huntersand shooters. With an operationalrange of 5 to 800 yards, it’s perfect for bow orrifle hunters. The Sport 600 offers versatility and easeof operation in a vertical format and provides accuratedistance readings in both yards and meters. For more info:www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlWWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 107

: SPOTLIGHT For more information on seeing your product featuredin Spotlight contact, Steve Evatt (858) 605-0218.M&P Guide Rod LaserLaserMax, Inc.Announcing the addition of the full size, .40 Smithand Wesson M&P Guide Rod laser to its familyof guide rod laser aiming systems. LaserMaxis the only company that offers the innovative guide rodlaser design. The M&P guide rod is user installed with factoryalignment and “no gunsmithing” required. For more info:www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlRed HerringConsole VaultIntroducing a wall safe,designed to be install betweentwo standard 16" center wallstuds. You’re probably saying“Oh hum, not another wallsafe,” but the Red Herring isthe first in a line of safes thatnot only uses high security butalso uses deception. The unitappears to be an electricalpanel with all the warningslike: “Danger High Voltage,”“Warning Authorize PersonalOnly,” etc. The idea is, though,the user enters his combo,turns the locks but the safe stillwon’t open. Then the safe forces them to touch somethingthey normally wouldn’t to actually open the safe. For moreinfo: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlStinger LEDFlashlightsStreamlightIntroducing the Stinger LEDHP and Stinger DS LEDHP rechargeable flashlightsproviding hunters,hikers, campers, andother outdoor enthusiasts with extraordinary brightnessand versatility with C4 LED technology, three intensitylevels and a popular strobe feature. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlXTI ProcyonLCD TacticalIlluminatorInsight TechnologyAnnouncing the nomination of theXTI Procyon for the 2009 Brilliance Award by OpticsPlanet. The XTI delivers125 lumens of stunning white light. Its patented Slide-Lock design and adjustablerail interface for easy mounting to most railed pistols while its compact,machined aluminum housing fits existing M3 holsters. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlModel391DutyHolsterGould and GoodrichG&G has designed a duty holsterthat meets the needs of LE Professionalsas they face the rigorousdemands of their jobs. For moreinfo: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlKC4211 ImitationPearl TrapperHallmark CutleryThe Kissing Crane series features theKC4211 Imitation Pearl ModifiedTrapper. At $29.50 SRP, this babyis a steal and a great reminder ofsimple elegance of knives past. Thelength closed is41/8" with a 31/4"main-blade.For more info:www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.htmlMossberg 500/590 Flashlight MountGG&G Tactical ProductsIntroducing a Flashlight Mount designed specifically for the Mossberg 500/590.The kit includes a unique mounting bracket that securely attaches to the factoryfore end tube, using the factory forearm-retaining nut. Also included is the newfactory Mossberg Police synthetic forearm precision cut to clear the 500/590flashlight-mounting bracket, an assembly tool, and a MIL-STD-1913rail. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.html108 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Grip Gloves Ad Springfield 7/15/09 10:34 AM Page 1“America’s Finest Handgun Grips”Slip-On Grips ThatFit Like a Glove.NEW!Pachmayr ®A Lyman BrandNow Available for Springfield XD!CustomShapedfor EachModelContouredFinger GroovesVentilatedSide PanelsTACTICALGRIP GLOVESMade to Fit Your GunNo More “One-Size-Fits-All”Call 800-423-9704 or www.pachmayr.comTMFlexible Ultra-SoftRubber TechnologyPachmayr has applied the technology of their Decelerator ®material to the world of Slip-On Grips. Tactical Grip Gloves deliverunmatched recoil reduction and enhanced control. The material’s flexibilitymakes installation “a snap” – no trimming, tearing or hard work - just aperfect fit. The distinctive ventilated side panels and finger grooves offera professional appearance and more instinctive gun orientation than“one-size-fits-most” band models. Welcome to the future of slip-on grips.Also Available for:S&W SigmaSIG P220, 226, 228, 229CZ 75/85Glock 17,20,21,22,31,34,35,37Beretta: 96 FS/D/G, 92 FS/D/G/SB/FLyman ® 475 Smith St., Middletown, CT 06457 Dept40011 12/17/09 7:30:03 AM

INDEX OF ADVERTISERSA.T. Custom Gunworks 105ATK/Eagle Industries 27Al Mar Knives 90American Gunsmith. Institute 96American Pistolsmiths Guild 102Arntzen Corporation 100Arredondo Accessories Inc. 85Bar-Sto Precision Machine 94The Beltman 96Belt Mtn. Enterprises Inc. 100Benchmade Knife Company 12Berry’s Manufacturing 37Birchwood Casey 37Black Hills Ammunition Inc. 89Bob Neal Custom Knives 97Boker USA Inc. 81Brownells 98Caspian Arms Ltd. 78Check-Mate Industries 43Chip McCormick Custom LLC. 31Competition Electronics 6Competitive Edge Dynamics 91CorBon/Glaser 16Crawford Knives 94Crimson Trace Corp. 19CrossBreed Holsters LLC 14Cylinder & Slide Inc. 33D & L Sports 105DeSantis Holster 16Diamond Machining Tech. 80Dillon Precision 85DoubleStar Corp. 92El Paso Saddlery Co. 92EOTAC 18Elite Survival Systems 81European American Armory 21Fail Zero 90Fiocchi Ammunition 99Fletcher Custom Pistols 105FNH USA 3Fobus USA 99Galco Gunleather 17Gary Reeder Customs 105Ghost Inc. 100GLOCK Inc. 45Great Eastern Cutlery 14Grayman Knives 94GSI International Inc. 10GunBroker.com 103Gungrips.net 83Hi-Cal Training 89HKS Products Inc. 86Hodgdon Powder Company 93Hogue Inc. 37Hornady Manufacturing Inc. 35Ironmind 96J.B. Custom, Inc. 105Kahr Arms 20, 79Kimber Mfg. Inc. 20, 47, 116Lambert Knives 98LaserMax 18Law Concealment Systems Inc. 97Lawman Leather Goods 85Lee Precision 33Les Baer Custom Inc. 25Lightfoot Knives 95Lyman Products 109Mag-na-port International Inc. 96Maxpedition Hard-Use Gear 11Mec-Gar USA Inc. 95Meprolight 41MTM Molded Products Co. 41Nighthawk Custom 87Pact Inc. 8Para USA 2Para-Cord 98Pearce Grip 95Powder River Precision 105Pro Ears 88Pro Force Law Enforcement 79Prolix 94ProMag Industries 12Rio Grande Custom Grips 100S.W.A.T. 110Safariland 47SIG SAUER 23Smith & Alexander Inc. 97Smith & Wesson 15Spartan Blades 92Springfield Inc. 13, 115SSK Industries 85STI International Inc. 91Starline Brass 101Superior Firearms 10SureFire LLC 29Taurus International 9Ten Ring Precision 105Thunder Ranch Training 104, 109TOPS KNIVES 84Tuff Products Brand 100Tussey Custom 105Universal Shooting Academy 100USA Shooting Team/Kimber 39Viridian Green Laser 82Volkmann Custom Inc. 80W.C. Wolff Company 83Wilson Combat 7XS Sight Systems 90110 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

AMERICAN HANDGUNNERCLASSIFIEDClassified ads $2.00 per-word per insertion. ($1.50 per-word per insertion for 3 or more) including name, address and phone number (20 word minimum).Minimum charge $40.00. Bold words add $1.00 per word. Copy and rerun orders must be accompanied by PAYMENT IN ADVANCE. NOAGENCY OR CASH DISCOUNTS ON LISTING OR DISPLAY CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING. All ads must be received with advance payment BYNO LATER THAN THE 1st of each month. Ads received after closing will appear in the following issue. Please type or print clearly. PLEASE NOTE*** NOPROOFS WILL BE FURNISHED. Include name, address, post office, city, state and zip code as counted words. Abbreviations count as one word each.Mail to AmeriCAN HAndgunner CLASSIFIEDS, 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, California 92128. NOTE: WE NOW HAVE DISPLAY CLASSI-FIED ADS IN BOTH GUNS MAGAZINE AND AMERICAN HANDGUNNER. ASK FOR OUR NEW RATE CARD, Or call (858) 605-0235.ACCESSORIESAPPARELTHE BELTMAN makes sturdy, top quality, DUALLAYER, Bull Hide belts for dress wear, concealedcarry, or competition. Options include: Horse, Shark,Elephant, Velcro, tapering, stiffeners, etc. Handmadein three widths, and five colors from $69.95, anylength! Catalogue - $3.00 (refundable) PO Box 1302,Apex, NC 27502. 919-387-1997. www.thebeltman.net.LEATHERCRAFTMILITARIAwww.GunBook.net The Social Network for peoplewho love guns. Create your FREE profile today.Upload pictures and videos. Make friends withpeople who share your interest.WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 111 111

insiderADD IT UP78Percentage saying gun laws should bemore strict in 1990 poll.62Percentage saying gun laws should bemore strict in 2000 poll.44Percentage saying gun laws should bemore strict in 2009 poll.90Percentage of wild game killed byhailstorm in Austrian province.3.8Billions of dollars earmarked by pendingFederal legislation to boost LE programs.1,250Velocity in fps of .22 caliber rifle pelletsfrom some modern air rifles..600 NitroExpressMost powerful caliber ever chamberedin a handgun.1,050Bullet weight in grains, fired at1,050 fps from .600. Recoil issaid to be “substantial.”the insider Continued from page 114is not as reliable as we wished. If youknow it will work well enough to hit amythical target more than likely six orless feet away, you can rest easy. Or atleast easier.Hunters talk of “one-inch of deer” at100 yards as being good enough accuracy.And hunters who can’t shoot betterthan 10" at 100 yards take millions ofdeer every year. Can we apply that principleto defensive handguns? You bet.If a defensive handgun works — andwill shoot within “one inch-of-felon atten feet” — it will probably serve youjust fine. And what would that mean?Best GunFollow-UpI suppose it’s whatever you would becomfortable with. It seems if a gun willwork and shoot within a 4" paper plateat ten feet it will probably protect the“average” you, and even further thanthat if you need it too. There’s no needfor hysterical internet forum argumentsand no need to lose sleep over worryingabout whether the new Slam-Fire .49Magnum shoots 1.78" or 1.96" at 25yards, unless it’s just fun to think about.And with all that free time you’llhave now, you can worry about otherimportant things — like the 1967 Dodgetrucks in your life.My last Insider (“First, BestGun,” Jan/Feb 2010) was aboutthose magical “first” gunswe’ve all gotten. Mine is a Remington514 single shot .22, which I still have.In the column, I mentioned my dadwas coming for a first visit to our newproperty we bought here in Missouri.We can shoot on our land, and one ofthe first things we did when he got herewas shoot that old rifle. I thought you’d enjoy this picture I snapped rightafter my dad had just popped a tiny spinner target at about 30 yards with therifle — the first time he’d shot it in over 40 years. Looks like a genuine grinto me. Take your dad shooting if you can. Trust me on that. Oh, and pleasedon’t gripe about no hearing protection and such. They didn’t do that in“those” days and I’ll be damned if I’m going to try to change things now.New! Improved! Tasty!Okay, it’s not really tasty, but it is new and improved. Ifyou go to www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex.html you’ll see a long list of yourfavorite goodies you see in our pages. If youclick on the one you like, you’ll see two links:One gets you to info from our magazines and theother takes you directly to the maker’s Web sitefor the product. Fast, easy and all in one place.Try it, you’ll like it!Notta 1911No, really. It looks like a minty 1911, even feels like one, but it’s not.Believe it or not, it’s a plastic replica, but a very special one. Japanese“pistolsmith” Mr. Vincent (Yusuke-san) makes unique bluing finisheswith secret recipes and techniques and does his magic on airsoft and model gunsin Japan (http://otonagai-mg.com). Remember, they can’t own real guns there.This is a Western Arms “Colt” 1911 Gas Blow Back Pistol made of a special“heavy weight” plastic. The serial number is “C1031” and is engraved (as isthe Colt logo) to be a perfect copy of the original. The trigger, safety and sliderelease have been blued differently to match the original. While this is stunningwork, let’s hope it doesn’t come to this here. Our thanks to Jonathan Marmandof France, the proud owner of this gun — and the exceptional photographer!112 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

EntrepreneurOur industry’s own KenSolinsky, president of InsightTechnology, Inc. (makers ofnight vision and electro-opticalsystems), was recently selectedas the Ernst & Young EntrepreneurOf The Year, the world’smost prestigious business awardfor entrepreneurs. He beat outover 300 regional winners from over 25 cities. Ken startedhis business in his family’s home in 1988, and they nowemploy over 1,200 people at three sites in Londonderry,N.H., making them one of the area’s largest employers.Cops and soldiers rely on Insight gear, and our HandgunnerHat is off to Ken for his very cool win! Well done!Born AHunterOften “hunting” books arewell, um, uh … like thoseTV deer hunts poorlyfilmed by bubbas with shakycameras. Yeah, we know it’s the biggestdeer you’ve ever seen, yeah, we know you’re excited, yeah,we know … you get the drift. And no high-fiving after theshot, please. Please?Dwight Van Brunt is not only an old friend, he’s also anindustry insider in our game. But what Dwight really is, frombirth, is a hunter. He’s a focused, near-insane, help-me-I-can’tstop-hunter. If he’s not hunting, he’s thinking about it, orcleaning his rifles or deciding where to hunt next, or buyingtickets to Africa. You get the drill.The “classic” hunting magazine and book guys can paintvivid pictures of a gun dog and an old shotgun in the field,but alas, often lack the ability to connect with the reader fromtheir lofty towers. Their $30,000 Purdys and $10,000 huntslose us. But Dwight is different. Dwight knows how we think,feels the same feeling we feel about hunting and more importantly,connects when he talks about it with you. His excitementand passion shows, and it invites you to read more.“Fate is a curious animal, presenting itself at times leastexpected,” says Dwight. Fate has brought us Dwight’s book.Take advantage of it. www.sportingclassics.net, (800) 849-1004Young HunterIthink I’ll let Ryan Wilson of Wilson Tactical and WilsonCombat tell the story about his son Josh’s, first deer.“We got into the box blind before first light and the buckcame into the field chasing a doe around7:00. Josh was sitting on a bar stool with hislegs folded underneath him to get enoughheight to shoot. I was watching throughbinoculars, waiting for the deer to turnproperly for a shot. When we finally got theshot at about 150 yards, I was in the processof telling him to “put the crosshairs rightbehind …” when I heard the 6.8 SPC bark.I watched the deer jump and kick whenJosh shot, and run about 40 yards where it1911CaneOld friend Mac Scott touched base withme not long ago and told me of a newthing he’s doing. If you remember Scott,McDougall & Associates, the custom pistolsmithshop specializing in small autos, well, he’s the “Scott” part.After closing shop when his partner and good friend DougMcDougall died, Mac moved to the N/W and is doing fine.After crashing his motorcycle in the early 1980s, though,he got stuck with a limp and has used canes ever since. Tomake life easier, he made himself a cane not long ago andfound the classic 1911 grip frame made it the perfect fit. Noweveryone wants one and I told Mac I’d ruin his life and tellthe world about ’em here. If you want one, touch base withhim at: sales@45auto.com (no phone calls). His Web siteis www.45auto.com and has lots more pictures and options.They’re around $150 and made from Goncalo Alves andSapele wood. Our cane has genuine diamond back rattlergrips by Dog Grips, but you can screw your own 1911 gripson ’em if you want to. How cool is that? Don’t hate me Mac.C&S SchoolOkay, I may be insane for agreeingto this but Bill Laughridge, guruof the Cylinder & Slide Shop,talked me into helping him host hisnext “How to build a custom 1911”class — at my house! He was visitingand said, looking over my three-stallgarage, “You know, you’re prettycentral here in Missouri, and, well,um, that garage would be perfect fora few students, you know.” Okay, Iknow now. Check with Bill’s shop at(800) 448-1713 and ask for Jon for thedetails. The class is March 24-26, 2010, and then a oneday“Maintenance and Malfunction” class on the 27 th . Youend up building a custom 1911 worth around $2,000, sothe fees sorta’ balance out. If you attend, wife Suzi, editorof American COP (who will be taking the class too) and Iwill host a dinner at least one night, and probably supplybologna sandwiches for lunch too. And hey, you can shootright outside our garage. Oh Lord, what have I done? GiveBill a call and come for a visit.stopped, paused then fell. I don’t know who was more excited,because we were both shaking and overwhelmed with excitement.It was a moment I will cherish forever.”The hunt took place at the Wilson farm in NW Arkansas.Josh is 6-years old and in the first grade, and this was his firstyear to hunt. And that rifle? It’s one of Wilson’snew Tactical Hunter Lightweight 6.8 SPC rifleswith a Burris LRS 3.5-10 illuminated scope. Theammo was factory SSA 6.8 SPC loaded with a110 gr. Barnes TSX bullet. How cool to use a riflebuilt by your grandpa for your first hunt? Andthey say “black” rifles don’t belong in the huntingfield? The low recoil of the semiauto actionallowed young Josh to use an adequate caliber forthis great trophy. I’m sure I speak for usall when I say: Well done, Josh!*WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 113insider

THEINSIDERTMRoy HuntingtonOn Accuracy“ So I shot the gun at the engaged by a bad guy. And more than European car goes 0-60 in about sixnormal combat range likely, it will be even closer.seconds and leaves a sonic boom in itsof seven yards,” reads So why then, are we so enamored wake, will make your liver tear loose inall too many lines, in with guilt-edged accuracy in our defensivehandguns? I’ll tell you why — it’s of feed corn in the trunk if you havethe turns, and you can carry two bagsall too many gun articlesI see. Who says it’s seven yards, because we don’t have anything better to (although people do stare at Tractoranyway? And I see this reader mail:“I didn’t see any accuracy testing at25 yards,” generally in reference toan article about a pocket gun of somesort. It got me to thinking: Whatis accuracy, how much of it do wereally need — and is it overrated?Before I retired I took a hard lookat 70+ shootings by my old agency’sofficers. The time period coveredwent from the middle 1980s to theearly 1990s. The closest distanceswere muzzle-contact, and the furthestone (by a patrol cop, as opposed to aSWAT rifle shooting) was about 37yards. The average was about fouryards for all the shootings combined,and the majority (about 40-percent)were within contact and six feet. Thenext majority was between six and15 feet. This mirrors data I foundon a comprehensive study of NYPDshootings during the 1970s.So reach your arms wide and takea look at the space you hold betweenthem. If you ever have to unlimberyour defensive handgun, chancesto do. As consumers, we’re constantlyforcing the makers to up the ante; tomake it more accurate, shoot faster, lookcooler … or we won’t buy it. How canone brand, or custom maker, help theirproduct stand out? Easy: “Ours can shootsub-one inch groups, and those otherscan’t.” Just as a car maker claims “OurJupiter Zoomer can go 0-60 in 5.2 secondswhile the other guy’s only does it in5.8 — gun-makers play the same game.Once again, in the real world, who caresif your car is a 5.2 or even a 10.5 secondride? When do we need to go 0-60?When do I need to shoot 1" groups?I’ll grant you, if it’s for fun, that’sanother thing entirely. I like accuratehandguns, especially if I’m hunting withthem. I even appreciate fast cars thathandle well. But for my daily driver, Ihave a 1967 Dodge D100 pick-up. Itdoes 0-60 in about a week and is aboutas “accurate” when it tracks as an oldpitchfork thrown by a drunk farmer.But oddly enough, it not only gets mefrom here to there, it does it with style,a certain level of panache (or at leastSupply). But, it can get stuck on the iceand in the mud, and don’t even ask mehow much it costs to get repaired. Somost of the time we take the Dodge totown, and people still stare, but I like tothink it’s because she’s a most marvelouscolor of sky blue.And what does that all mean to us?If you like accuracy, great, “I got it,” asClint would say, and you should go forit. But … if you are actually looking fora defensive handgun, you need to putaccuracy way down on the list of musthaves.Better to think of utter reliability,versatility and long-term toughnessfirst, and think about accuracy last. Atuned 1911 displaying mind-bogglingaccuracy is very cool, but if it bobbles— even only “now and again” — it’snot good enough for self-defense. Oh,it’s still good for the sheer fun of it, andthat’s a good thing too. Perhaps even agreat thing.Give me a 4" S&W K-frame .38Special in a decent holster and a speedloader or two, over the fanciest, mostaccurate gun out there — if that gunare very good those measly six feetwill be the average distance you’ll beI believe it does) and it can carry allsorts of useful stuff. Suzi’s low, fast the insider Continues on page 112insider=114 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2010

Ultra CDP II pistols in .45 ACP& 9mm have 3-inch barrels &weigh just 25 ounces.The Best Defense.The Custom Defense Package–CDP–from Kimber.The Pro CDP II .45 ACP hasa 4-inch barrel and full-lengthgrip. At just 28 ounces, it iseasy to carry & conceal.CDP pistols are powerful, accurate and absolutely dependable. Built in theKimber ® Custom Shop , they feature night sights and 30 lines-per-inchcheckering on the frontstrap and under the trigger guard for a positive grip.Slides are machined from stainless steel and aluminum frames wear KimPro II ,a premium finish that is self-lubricating and extremely resistant to the elements.All have a match grade barrel, chamber and trigger. Adding these features duringproduction reduces their price by over $500, giving them incredible value. Seethem in action at www.kimberamerica.com. Carry the best. Carry a Kimber.The Custom CDP II .45 ACPhas a 5-inch barrel andweighs only 31 ounces.It is the finest full-size 1911carry pistol available today.CDP pistols feature match grade barrels, night sights and aCarry Melt treatment that rounds & blends edges to preventsnagging on clothing or holsters.The Choice of America’s Best.©2009 Kimber Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved. Kimber names, logos and othertrademarks may not be used without permission. Names of other companies,products and services may be the property of their respective owners. Kimberfirearms are shipped with an instructional manual and California-approvedcable lock. Copy of instruction manual available by request.www.kimberamerica.comFor information on products and dealerlocations please send $2 to:Kimber, Dept. 259One Lawton Street, Yonkers, NY 10705Information is also available at (800) 880-2418