• What are your favorite loads for self-protection?

    First, I’m not a terminal ballistician, but I will give you what I think are good loads per caliber based on informal expansion/penetration “tests” I’ve run and based on what I’ve seen when the load is used on animals from jackrabbits to Texas whitetail deer. Where I can, I’ll relate information on how these loads…

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  • What about Hornady XTP Handgun Ammunition? 

    Hornady “eXtreme Terminal Performance” JHP’s have been around for quite a while and are available in most of the more commonly used handgun calibers.  They are not usually as aggressive in expansion characteristics as are some other bullets, most notably, Sierra. The XTP is designed to expand about 1.5 times its original diameter and I believe it was the…

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  • Is JSP ammo better for defense than JHP?

    It looks like it should be.  No, it appears that it is not.  While JSP rounds expand or deform in some mediums like ductseal or clay, when fired into animals I’ve seen shot with them, it appears that they act just like ball. Apparently, most handgun velocities in the 800 to 1200 ft/sec range just are…

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  • How do I remove the bushing from my Hi Power?

    You don’t! For all practical purposes, the bushing on the Hi Power is permanent and not to be removed except by the factory and maybe a super gunsmith specializing in Hi Powers.  The bushing is press-fitted into place and is silver soldered. It would be very, very unwise to attempt removal at home and would probably result in a ruined slide. I…

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