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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Fascinated with firearms, especially handguns for as long as I can remember, I began purchasing them about four decades ago…as finances allowed. Eventually the inevitable “fever” set in and like so many before me (and after), I began a dedicated search for the “perfect handgun”…which I have yet to find! I bought, owned and traded more than…
The .380 ACP has several monikers such as 9x17mm, 9mm Kurtz, 9mm Corto and 9mm Short, but regardless of its handle, the cartridge’s traditional ballistic signature is a 95-gr. FMJ at about 950 ft/sec. Currently, factory-loaded .380 ACP is offered in weights ranging from about 70 to 102 grains and backup guns or primary weapons…