[Review] S&W SW22 Victory: Excellent .22 Pistol
Smith and Wesson has had a lot of experience with .22 LR autoloaders. Matter of fact, one of my recent reviews was about their M&P Compact .22. They make a lot of different models. Friend Duane has in his gun case a like-new Model 41 Target pistol with two barrels – one has a red ... Read more
Best .380 ACP Pistols [Hands-On Reviewed]
Here’s a conversation from a gun shop: “What’s that in your pocket?” “A .380 in a pocket holster”. “Don’t you know you might as well throw rocks as shoot somebody with a .380?” “Well, if it’s so ineffective, will you volunteer to hold the target at the far end of the pistol range? HA! Didn’t ... Read more
[Review] Smith & Wesson M&P .22 Compact
The M&P line of semi-auto pistols is a big seller for Smith & Wesson. Coming in calibers .22 LR, .380, 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP, these guns are solid choices for concealed carry or competition. Heck, they’re fun just shooting in the back yard. I surely think you could do worse when it comes ... Read more
Best 9mm Pistols [Guide]
The 9mm cartridge has long held a reputation as a great round for target shooting and competition. But its greatest surge in popularity has occurred over the past 30 years or so as more concealed carriers have adopted it as their favorite. Why has that happened? First, let’s look briefly at the 9mm backstory, then ... Read more
[Review] Mossberg MMR: Best Budget AR-15?
Mossberg. Great shotguns, right? I own a decades-old Mossberg 5500, a lesser-expensive version of the 550 autoloader shotgun meant to be sold in box stores. I bought it long about 1986 or so and paid $199 for it, if memory serves. I got it a long-gone retail store called Service Merchandise. At any rate, I ... Read more
[Review] HK416: H&K’s Magnificent Rimfire
If you are into rimfire guns, .22s, then you should definitely take a look at this one. There – I said it. I have always liked .22s, preferably of the handgun persuasion. Sure, I’ve got the obligatory Ruger 10/22, and an accurate thing it is. I even painted mine camo for the squirrel woods. With ... Read more
[Review] Glock 43: Ultimate Concealed Carry Gun
Glock guns. Love them or really not like them (don’t like the h*** word – too much of that in the world today). The shooting world is bifurcated when it comes to this company’s guns. Some shooters will buy only Glocks – I know a few of them. Others would not buy one if it ... Read more
[Review] Zastava PAP M92: AK-47-Based Pistol
An AK-47-based pistol? What were they thinking? First of all, it’s an AK, not an AR. Second, it’s a pistol, not a carbine, I initially thought. Having just reviewed the Sig Sauer P556 AR pistol and having seen how quickly and easily these short guns are brought into action, I think I can see what ... Read more
[Review] Taurus 44 Mag – The “Other” 44 Magnum
The “other” 44. What do I mean? Well, if you look at this gun for more than 2 seconds, you will see that it looks an awful lot like a Smith & Wesson. Why does it resemble the other gun? We’ll get into that. Suffice it to say that this gun is a winner in ... Read more
[Review] Glock 23: The Compact .40 S&W
Deer-legal in my state. Huh? This gun is deer-legal in my state. The .40 S&W, shot through a minimum-4-inch barrel is considered deer medicine where I live. Of course, I think you’d be better off with the “other” .40-caliber cartridge, the 10mm which is also legal, but that’s another article. Add in the ability to ... Read more
[Review] Stoeger STR-9: Excellent 9mm
Stoeger is a company that I am familiar with. Known for decades as an importer of really decent-quality shotguns, the company got this handgunner’s attention around 1980 when they began importing these: This is a German-made Luger .22. Stoeger has owned the rights to the Luger name in the U.S. since 1924, so they thought ... Read more
[Review] Ruger Security-9
Ruger has been making guns since 1949, and they apparently do it very well. From Bill Ruger’s first .22 pistol to Red Label O/U shotguns to No. 1 rifles to the 10/22 to … well, you get it. They make all sorts of guns that historically have been very well received and have grown to ... Read more
[Review] Smith and Wesson 638 Airweight: The “Humpback Whale”
OK, so I make a little funny here – I figure it’s my gun so I can make fun of it a bit if I want. The thing that isn’t funny about this gun, though, is how it shoots – it does that job in a very serious manner. I like my little humpback whale ... Read more
[Review] Walther PPQ M2: German Police Pistol
Walther is a company that has earned one whale of a reputation in the firearms industry. This German-based company is responsible for some of the world’s great guns. To select just one example, the Walther P-38 semi-auto 9mm was the first widely accepted double-action/single-action (DA/SA) pistol to be adopted for military service. I’ve shot one ... Read more
[Review] Sig Sauer P556: Yep, that’s a pistol…
Oh boy…a “pistol” in 5.56! What a cool gun, I thought as I picked it up to look it over. Loaned to me by a good friend and former county deputy, I couldn’t wait to get some rounds downrange through it. I had always wondered about the need for a short-barreled, buttstock-free 5.56 gun, but ... Read more
Best Concealed Carry Guns [Semiautos & Revolvers]
So…you’ve decided that you want to carry a gun. Depending on what state you live in, this may not be the easiest decision you’ve made. Different states have different laws, as we know. Some states make it easier than others to get a concealed carry permit. Now that Illinois has joined the club, all fifty ... Read more
[Review] Ruger LCP II: The .22 Pocket Rocket
I’ve always had a weakness for .22 handguns. Revolver or semi-auto, it doesn’t matter to me. The thought of having a gun that can go pretty much anywhere you go, on your belt or in a pocket appeals to me. I call them “walking-around guns.” As I wander our woods, I appreciate having something that ... Read more
[Review] Glock 45: The New Compact Crossover Pistol
I have a habit, whether right or wrong, of looking at something I’ve seen before and making the borderline-snide comment “nothing new to see here, folks, move along…”. I admit I’ve used that, or similar, statements in some of my gun reviews. A more polite way of putting it might be “not much new here ... Read more
[Review] Springfield Armory XDS 4.0
A good while ago I owned a Springfield XDS with the short 3-inch-plus barrel in .45 ACP. Now, that was a handful. I’m no stranger to smalller-framed .45s… back in the late 1970s I owned a Star PD, the Spanish-made 6-round .45 that was loosely modeled on the 1911. I liked that gun. But, like ... Read more
[Review] Ruger Precision Rifle: The Rifle That Does It All
Let’s just cut right to the chase: if you are looking for a rifle that pretty much does it all, check out a Ruger Precision. This gun is really something. Whether you’re a hunter, long-range shooter or whatever else you use a rifle for, this one is good to go. What do I mean? If ... Read more
[Review] Ruger American Predator: Best Budget Rifle?
Some guys must be living right. I mean, how else would you explain how an ordinary guy who puts his pants on one leg at a time could go to a local National Wildlife Turkey Federation dinner and walk away with two new rifles, given as prizes? Well, OK, he’s done a lot of work ... Read more
[Review] Fiocchi Ammo
Quick – I say “Fiocchi ammo” and you come back with: “_____!” OK…let me fill in the blank. You might say ”They make some great .22 rimfire ammo!”, or “Not bad for being made in Italy!” (Speaking of Italy, I’ve heard different pronunciations of “Fiocchi” – for the record, it’s fee-OH-key). You would be correct ... Read more
[Review] Ruger PC 9mm Carbine
Last time, we looked at a Hi-Point model 995 9mm carbine. This time, we’ll look at the Ruger version of the 9mm carbine (also available in .40 S&W). In terms of variations, there are 20 different models listed on Ruger’s website, counting the various distributor guns and different stock finishes available. Now, let’s take a ... Read more
[Review] Hi-Point 995 Carbine
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
[Review] Savage Axis II XP (vs. Mossberg Predator)
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
[Review] Taurus G3c: The Brand New 9mm
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
[Review] Taurus 942: New CCW Revolver
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
[Review] Ruger-57: Handgun-Sized AR?
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
[Review] Taurus 856 Defender
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
[Review] Taurus 905: 9mm Snubby
“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
