I’ll say up front that I prefer steel pistols, almost always in a single-action design, and that I think nothing looks better than well done bluing and quality stocks of walnut or rosewood. I guess that makes me a traditionalist. I have nothing against hard chrome, electroless nickel or some other finishes, but if use…
Hello. Like many traditionalists, I was wrong in thinking that “plastic guns” would break quickly and not last the test of time. Though I strongly prefer blue steel and old, “out of date” Hi Powers and 1911s, there are many who rather like these “modern” pistols using polymer in place of the traditional steel or…
A common topic centers on which is best: 9mm Mak, .380 ACP, or the .38 Snub. Though ballistically in the same general ballpark, each round brings with it certain advantages as well as negatives. Let’s take a look at what we might expect from these or similar loads. 9x18mm: Rare in the US until the mass…
The Makarov pistol is extremely well thought of in some circles and is noted for exceptional reliability with most types of ammunition. The Bersa Thunder is the latest incantation of the company’s .380 ACP pistol and is quickly gaining strong support among shooters as well. It, too, is garnering accolades for reliability. The Bersa used for this…
I have a friend who chides those of us using Hi Powers and other single-action automatics as “living in the past” and playfully encourages us to “move into the 21st century” with our pistols, referring to his well-used Glock 17. Now, he’s just kidding because he knows that “we” are wedded to these pistols, but others…
All information is based on 10-shot averages from the 3.46″ factory Glock barrel in a Glock 26. Average velocities, extreme spreads, and standard deviations are in ft/sec. An asterisk by the load indicates that it is no longer made. Some Glock 26 shooters may still have some of this ammunition so the data is included.…
That the .45 ACP is a popular self-defense cartridge in the US is an understatement. It is probably the “yardstick” by which other defensive cartridges are measured. Most popular is probably the full-size 1911 having a 5″ barrel, but smaller handguns are frequently used. Some people are just not comfortable with cocked and locked carry and a…