Stephen A. Camp

  • Shooting the CZ Kadet .22 LR Conversion, Pt. II

    My luck with the Kadet conversion has been satisfactory and it shows no signs of undue wear after 14 years of use.  Like a certain watch commercial, “It just keeps on ticking”! With the exception of replacing the initial firing pin with the improved “chisel-shaped” one that is now standard, not one part has been replaced…

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  • “House Guns and the 24/7 Solution”

    “I in my own house am an emperor,  and will defend what is mine.” Massinger-The Roman Actor. Act 1. Sc. 2.33 It is no secret that more honest citizens are lawfully carrying concealed handguns than ever before due to more states enacting concealed carry laws, a change that I heartily welcome.  Handgun manufacturers responded with “compact” or “ultra-compact” versions…

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  • Favorite Handguns: S&W Model 64/65 w/3” Barrel

    I am not alone in being extremely fond of these stainless steel 3” K-Frame revolvers.  The Model 64 is chambered for .38 Special and the near-identical 65 for the .357 Magnum.  Before law enforcement’s exodus to the autoloader, 3” K-Frame S&W’s were popular with more than a few agencies including the FBI and NYPD. But…

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  • Choosing a Defensive Pistol: Individual Requirements

    It is a pretty safe bet that one of the most cussed and discussed topics on-line and in print concerns choosing the “best” defensive handgun extant. People putting forth arguments for high-dollar selections frequently get labeled “snobs” while those fervently supporting any brand handgun are labeled “fanboys”, though I see this term used more with Glock aficionados…

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  • 45 ACP SIG Sauer P220’s and SWC’s

    The combination of the normally reliable P220 and semiwadcutter ammunition is frequently not a happy one. In my experience with them, P220’s usually feed flawlessly with about any load around from FMJ to blunt JHP’s, but it has been “hit or miss” with handloaded SWC ammunition. The P220 on the left was purchased NIB in the early ‘90’s and…

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  • “FBI Load” Velocities from S&W J-Frame Snubs

    Hello.  I recently chronographed the .38 Special +P “FBI Load” from three major manufacturers through 5 different S&W J-Frames having 1 7/8” barrels.  Nothing really exciting or surprising but it seems a good thing to re-check such things over time and I wanted to post these results for folks who might be interested. Average velocities…

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  • Shooting the 9mm Beretta PX4 Storm Updated

    Since the initial article was written, I have fired the pistol quite a bit more over several shooting sessions at the range. The long and short of it is that I neither cleaned nor lubed the pistol other than to wipe down the exterior and keep notes on how many rounds were eventually fired before…

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