Mike

I recently received two 9mm carbines for testing. One is made by Hi-Point and the other one by Ruger. I will do a two-part review using these two carbines – this style of firearms is really hot right now. So, let’s look first at the Hi-Point, then next time we’ll examine the Ruger. These are … Read more

Those of you who read my reviews and articles know that I am by and large a handgun guy. I cut my shooting teeth on that type of firearm. I guess growing up in a state that did not allow “regular” rifle calibers for deer hunting (only pistol calibers were legal) until fairly recently may … Read more

I was minding my own business one day when I got a call from my media contact at Taurus. He said Taurus was coming out with something new, a new 9mm. It would ship with either three 10- or 12-round magazines and was based on the four-inch-barreled G3 full-size 9mm pistol that Taurus came out … Read more

Raise your hand if you’ve always wanted a neat little .22 revolver that didn’t take up much room and didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Add in accurate and reliable, and we have a winnah! The Taurus 942 is just such a critter. Why Would I Want One? I had requested this gun from … Read more

The new Ruger-57 is one popular gun. When Beth from Ruger said that my requested test gun was being shipped, I became excited – this is one gun that has a waiting list of buyers, at least around here. My good friend Duane, who has owned and operated his sporting goods store since 1986, said … Read more

I like snub-nose revolvers. I admit it. If that makes me a Luddite, so be it. I started shooting more seriously and frequently at a time when the only double-stack semi-auto pistol available at your local gun store was the Browning Hi-Power, with its “enormous” 13-round capacity. In 1978 most cops/armored car drivers/security personnel/etc. carried … Read more

“Why in the world would someone want a REVOLVER, of all things, in 9mm?” I hear you ask. To which I reply, “Because! Why not?” With 9mm being the most popular concealed carry caliber now, why not? Not everyone who carries a concealed gun carries a semi-auto…there are still two or three of us out … Read more

With the recent pandemic-related buying frenzy, all of a sudden we see bare gun cases and and empty ammo shelves. I haven’t seen anything like this since the Obama “scare” several years ago, and people who pay attention to such things say that the most recent buying frenzy sold many more guns than were sold … Read more

1920. That was the year, exactly a hundred years ago, that O. F. Mossberg & Sons produced their first pistol. It was a four-barreled .22 semiautomatic whose firing pin rotated with each trigger pull. It used a latch to keep the action locked. When opened, you used the piece of bent sheet metal provided with … Read more

OK…time for a quick poll. All you shooters who have never shot a .22 single action revolver, raise both hands. Now, if you’ve shot any .22 revolver – single or double action – put one hand down. Look around the room – hands went down, right? (Oh, yeah – I forgot. I’m writing this during … Read more

OK, boys and girls…set your Way-Back machine for 1985. Point it to Southport, Connecticut – the Ruger factory there. As you enter the Ruger administrative offices, you may notice several men and women “high-five-ing” each other. Why? They had just introduced a new line of pistols, to compete in the marketplace against other “wondernines” and … Read more

Glock – the polarizing gun company. A lot of shooters really, really like their pistols, while others can’t even hear the name “Glock” without wanting to throw up a little. Why is that, you ask? Well, I guess it’s because that so many shooters have (over)sung the praises of the gun so often that others … Read more

Another 1911 review. Yup, here we go again. Why? Well, why not? The old 1911 is experiencing a resurgence the likes of which it has not ever seen before. I daresay the 1911 is more popular now than ever. Not bad for a 109-year-old design, eh? Why is it so popular? Here are a couple … Read more

What, you say…more holsters? Yessiree. With the plethora of carry guns we have today, we really can’t have too many holsters, can we? (Especially those that ride on the western hemisphere of my body, unlike all you right-handed eastern hemisphere shooters!) There are never enough lefty holsters out there, so it was great excitement that … Read more

I have reviewed many Taurus guns, and have owned several as well. The Taurus name tends to have a polarizing effect on shooters. If you mention Taurus guns to some shooters, you might get stared at as if you had another eye appearing in the middle of your forehead, Twilight-Zone style. Some shooters just can’t … Read more

“What – yet another black rifle review?” I hear you say. To that I answer: “yessiree!” I like black rifles (or, to use a slightly more descriptive tag, the MSR, Modern Sporting Rifle). The MSR nowadays is to be found not only in law enforcement or military environments (in its select-fire guise), but also in … Read more

The 1911. What more can be written about this legendary pistol? In terms of handgun recognition by non-shooters I would venture to say that, maybe other than the ubiquitous Colt Single Action Army (the “cowboy gun”), the 1911 would come in at worst a close second place in that contest. The gun has been around … Read more

Fabrique Nationale Herstal, or, more simply FN. That manufacturer’s name conjures up, for those in the know, a long history of firearms production. Their long guns and military items are legendary, but we’re going to examine a 9mm pistol made by this storied company. Our review pistol is rugged and as Cousin Eddie might put … Read more

Look at the photo above. What gives it away? You know – gives away the fact that this is not a normal AR-pattern rifle. Look at the magazine and the bolt. This is not a normal AR-15. Not normal, that is, unless the rifle is chambered in the “other” .22 – the .22 Long Rifle. … Read more

The emperor scorpion…the largest, nastiest scorpion out there, from what I read. Living in a non-desert area, I have no real-world experience with scorpions (but I bet a lot of you readers in desert areas have plenty of experience with the critters!). Sig Sauer named their carry 1911 after the emperor scorpion, to give it … Read more

Riddle…when is a .357 not a magnum? When it’s fired in the Glock 32, in the guise of the .357 Sig. I have always wondered about the .357 Sig. I’d heard great things about it, such as its ability to push a 125-grain bullet out of a semi-auto’s barrel at over 1300 feet per second, … Read more

I am a 1911 fan. I’m not exactly a junkie, but I’ve owned several over the years. I started out, in the late 1970s, with a Llama stainless model. I had trouble with the roll pins on that one, but otherwise it was alright. I then had an AMT Hardballer, again stainless. That was a … Read more

The “Black Rifle.” The “assault rifle” (even though it’s not – see below). The gun that elicits responses on both sides of the aisle, whether pro or con. No other gun has been demonized more in recent memory than the descendant of Eugene Stoner’s handiwork, the AR-15. But… no other gun has had a more … Read more

Heckler & Koch makes some of the highest-quality arms in the world. From submachine guns to rifles to pistols, the company has earned a good reputation for tough, reliable weapons. I was blown away (not literally) with the quality and workmanship exhibited in the P30L in .40 S&W when I reviewed that gun a few … Read more