Though still popular with many that carry for self-defense, this round is usually relegated to back up guns and seldom seen at firing ranges in revolvers having longer barrels. It has not always been so. When I started police work in the early ’70’s, revolvers were in the vast majority at police firing ranges in barrel lengths ranging from…
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 Though I strongly prefer blue steel and old, “out of date” Hi Powers and 1911s, there are many who rather like these “modern” pistols using polymer in place of the traditional steel or…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…
Some of us have read articles either in print or at gun forums concerning the revolver’s being obsolete. Usually, this is in the context of defense use with focus being on: 1. Limited number of shots compared to the semiautomatic 2. Ease of reloading the automatic While both sides have their supporters and detractors, what is the…
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…