Pocket carry using a readily-concealable handgun almost always results in the choice of either a double-action revolver or a compact semiautomatic or so it seems from the emails I’ve received over the years. A small contingent uses derringers but they are in the minority compared to revolver or semiauto users. Some who choose the S&W J-frame are…
Hello. A friend of mine dropped by the other day to show me a new 1911-pattern pistol he’d just purchased and I noted that the textured stocks he had on it really offered a secure grip. I asked about them and he said that they were bought via Brownells’ site for about $25.00 a pop.…
Hello. A while back, a fellow wanted to sell a Bersa Series 95 that he had purchased new and had fired but 200 factory rounds through. It would come with one extra magazine at what I thought was a fair price. The pistol was as described and he tossed in a box of Fiocchi 90-gr.…
Hello. A good while back I penned out a thing called “A Case FOR the Defensive Makarov” and after receiving several queries concerning how “appropriate” the 9x18mm Makarov is as a defensive arm, I decided that a follow-up piece might be of service. My perception of why the Makarov remains so popular with many shooters…
By now, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t know that I am an ardent admirer of the 1911 pattern pistol. Having over 35 years’ experience with “Old Slabsides”, as a pistolsmithing apprentice, sometime practical pistol competitor, and lately legal concealed permit holder, I still believe it to be the best and most versatile service automatic out…
Hello. Ever since seeing the magic worked by Mr. Craig Spegel and Mr. Hakan Pek on their handgun stocks, I’ve sort of kept my eyes open for new handgun grip makers. I noticed a fellow named “Erich” on several boards with some really nice looking grips on a Makarov. It turns out that they were…
At one time when the words “forty-five automatic” were heard, the Colt Government Model immediately came to mind. Times have changed and more than a few different pistols are chambered in this American favorite, though the great 1911-pattern pistol continues to reign at or near the top of popularity polls. I have long been an…