[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 ... 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] 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
A Brief Guide To Handgun Powders
I am a reloader. I take the brass cases that others often toss in the trash can (or just leave on the ground), clean them, and re-use them. I admit it. I’m a pack rat of the highest water when it comes to brass. (Don’t even ask about the lead-colored items I hoard from my ... Read more
Single Action vs. Double Action Revolvers
Two does were standing, right at last light, in the stubble of a cut bean field across from our house around 80 yards away – or so I thought. I selected the nearer of the two and raised my revolver. Without a laser range finder, I made a “best-educated-guess” as to the range. I pulled ... Read more
[Review] Ruger P97DC: Looking back
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
[Review] N82 Tactical Holsters
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
[Review] FNS-9 Pistol
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
[Review] Mossberg 715T: “Black Rifle” For Almost Any Budget
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
[Review] Glock 32: The Other .357
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
Best Trigger Pull Gauge [2021]
A trigger pull gauge is one of the best investments a serious shooter can make. It doesn’t matter what a great buy that pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun or muzzle loader was if it has a so-so or worse trigger. Once you know exactly how many pounds of effort it takes to trip the hammer or ... Read more
[Review] MTM Case-Gard: Ammo Boxes, Rest & Table
“OK…now where did I put those last 10 loads I made to try in my Savage .243? The ones I just had on the bench…” I say this to myself quite frequently, along with other phrases that I won’t expound on here. I lose a lot of stuff. Or, rather, I misplace it. I learned ... Read more
[Review] HK P2000SK Compact 9mm
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
[Review] NovX Ammo 9mm
NovX ammo is really popular now. Along with Ruger’s ARX ammo, this very-light-for-caliber bullet moving at hyper speeds is helping redefine self-defense ammo. The light-bullet-moving-fast trend isn’t new — Lee Jurras helped push that idea in the 1960s with his SuperVel company based out of Shelbyville, Indiana. Now, NovX has taken up the baton with ... Read more
[Review] Troy Industries A4 “Other Firearm”
I have always been fascinated by the idea of a carbine that shoots pistol-caliber ammo. This is not a new idea — pistol caliber carbines have been around since the days of the Wild West. So, it would come as no surprise that I requested a 9mm firearm from Troy Industries. They sent me their ... Read more
Gunbroker.com [Review]: Fees, Laws and more…
The eBay of gun sites. That’s what Gunbroker.com has been called by those who use it. There is some validity to that point, as gunbroker.com is set up and run pretty much like an auction, except that you can list a “buy now” non-negotiable price if you want to sell something as quickly as possible. ... Read more
[Review] Glock 20: Best 10mm Out There?
If you’ve read many of my articles, you’ll know that I frequent a very good friend’s gun shop. My buddy Duane has loaned me used pistols to write about from time to time — he’s one of the good guys. He’s had a used Glock Gen 3 Glock 20 10mm in his case for a ... Read more
[Review] Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm
I owned a 9mm Shield once upon a time and foolishly sold it. That gun was reliable and easily carried inside the waistband. It was well-built, felt good in the hand and went “bang” every time it was supposed to. I don’t remember what gun I just had to have in its place, but it ... Read more
[Review] SIG Sauer P226
I recently was able to snag a used SIG Sauer P226 from my friend Duane’s gun case to review. The gun is chambered in .40 S&W and is in pretty decent shape, considering that it was shot and carried a lot. The P226 is one of those classic guns that has a great reputation. It ... Read more
How To: Cast Bullets [Complete Guide]
The sun was just beginning to peek over the tree line as one of my sons and I sat at the edge of a thicket, facing a large, unmowed meadow. It was November and deer firearms season. We watched a couple of nice does meander towards us across the meadow. We decided I would attempt ... Read more
[Review] Kimber Micro 9
Kimber is a company that has had a rather rocky past. Known today for high-quality 1911 and other types of pistols and rifles, the company has struggled to achieve the reputation it now enjoys. We’re going to examine the Micro 9 pistol in some detail, but first let’s look at the company that makes it. ... Read more
Taurus Spectrum .380 Subcompact Review
This article/review is about Taurus’ relatively new .380 ACP handgun, the Spectrum. But, before we get into discussing the Spectrum itself, a word about Taurus may be in order. (To cut to the chase, I really like my Spectrum – it’s a very reliable pistol). The following is directed at those who are not fans ... Read more
[Review] Colt Delta Elite 10mm
I approached my shooting bench with a bit of trepidation. I was holding an original, older Delta Gold Cup that belonged to a friend of mine who’d loaned it to me for this article. As you can see from the photo above, it is a beautiful pistol. He has had it for many years. He ... Read more
[Review] Charter Arms Pathfinder .22 LR
I just traded for a fun little gun. I got one of these… This is Charter Arms’ Target Pathfinder .22 LR with a 4.2-inch barrel. They also make a snubby version but I wanted the longer barrel and adjustable rear sight. If you’ve read many of my articles on this site about handguns, you would ... Read more
Best Gun Safes & Cabinets
When you buy your very first gun, whether a handgun, rifle or shotgun, you automatically have an issue to deal with the day you bring your new firearm home. That issue is: what are you going to do with it when you’re not shooting, cleaning or otherwise handling it? Am I Legally Required To Lock ... Read more
Guide To Used Gun Values [What is it worth?]
We’ve all been there. Somehow, we acquire a handgun, rifle or shotgun that eventually just becomes a safe queen. It could have been (as in my experience) a pistol that I thought would be just the ticket for concealed carry/hunting/steel targets/etc. Yet somehow, after owning the gun a while, I decided that maybe I acted ... Read more
Best Reloading Press [Beginner & Advanced]
Reloading your own ammo is a relaxing, rewarding hobby. Not only can you save money when you make your own ammo as opposed to buying factory stuff, it’s a lot of fun as well. To be totally honest, you may not save a lot of money shooting your ammo but you will get more shots ... Read more
Rifle Calibers [Ultimate Guide]
It’s just about time for firearms deer season here at home. This year, as in years past, one of my sons and I will head to the deer blind armed with (him) a .308 and (me) a .243. This is saying something, because it’s only been a couple of years that rifle calibers were legal ... Read more
Handgun Calibers [Ultimate Guide]
If you’re a brand-new handgunner or if you’re a seasoned veteran, sometimes it’s good to take a step back and look at some data on the cartridges we shoot. Maybe we’re thinking of expanding our gun collection but are not sure which way to go in terms of caliber, or maybe we’re just curious as ... Read more
Best 1911’s Chambered in 9mm
To many handgunners, the numbers 1, 9, 1 and 1 means only one thing: a classic semi-automatic handgun that was adopted by the military in 1911. Another related thought that usually pops into his or her mind is that the gun was chambered in caliber .45 ACP. As the original chambering of the vaunted 1911, ... Read more
