Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2020 i Gun Digest

We’ve been secretly working with manufacturers for months so that, when they flip the switch that turns a new product release from “pending” to “live,” we’ve already tested the gun and have the full review ready for you. And that’s what you have in your hands right now: Gun Digest’s 2020 SHOT Show issue. As I see it, the biggest news is the reintroduction of the Colt Python. And judging by the buzz on every, single one of Gun Digest’s social media channels, almost everyone with a trigger finger is excited about the return of the “Cadillac of Revolvers” too. Starting on page 28 of the issue you’re holding, you can get a good look at the new version of the old wheelgun and learn what’s been changed—plus a history…

One of the most common questions I get is, “What kind of gun do you carry?” I suppose, without trying to sound conceited, this is because folks want to know what a former cop—who’s trained extensively at Gunsite and tested a wide variety of handguns—might trust his life to. For those reasons, I guess there’s some merit to the question. However, I firmly believe that if you base your defensive handgun choice on what I or some self-proclaimed expert might carry in their holster, you’re making a mistake. Your defensive handgun needs to fit you, and it needs to be one you can comfortably carry and swiftly and effectively employ. That’s exactly why I stress the importance of using a drill such as the Forty-Five Drill—a drill I detailed in…

“There are many factors affecting velocity: barrel length, variations in bore diameter and the little, inexplicable ʻgremlins’ that cause reloaders to mutter inaudible sentences.” Accuracy in a rifle—even though “precision” is the word we actually should be using—is something every reloader is after. And, once we see a velocity figure published for a particular cartridge, there’s little others can do to drive that benchmark from the mind. Comparing the data in several reloading manuals, you’ll find some rather wide variations in velocity figures, even for the same load. You’ll sometimes see significant differences in the maximum charge weight, as well as the velocity for that weight charge. It can be maddening, especially when you’ve chosen a particular cartridge for the velocity potential and you see numbers that are, well, disappointing.…

Those of us who are old enough to remember the 1950s know what a great time it was to be a kid growing up in America. And, the middle of the decade, 1955, was a really good year. The number-one song on the radio was “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and the Comets, considered by some to have been the first rock ‘n’ roll song. It was also the year Ford introduced the Thunderbird, Walt Disney opened Disneyland, and a new TV Western, Gunsmoke, went on the air. For fans of firearms, 1955 gave us several historically important new handguns. After years of insisting it would never happen, Colt brought back the Single Action Army revolver, in part because of the popularity of TV shows such as Gunsmoke.…

The projectile has been a part of mankind’s culture since the first rock was hurled though the air. While so many of us quibble over cartridge conformation, wood versus synthetic stocks and the barrel length of our EDC carry gun, the only part of the equation that touches a game animal, hits a target or neutralizes a threat is the bullet. The pure lead bullet was the most popular choice (and still remains in use to this day) until the copper-jacketed bullet came into play in the late 1880s. Adding a jacket of copper drastically reduced fouling, allowed the bullet to handle velocities a lead bullet couldn’t and slowed the expansion rate. With few exceptions, the cup-and-core bullet design remained the standard for the next 70 years or so, and…

It’s not a secret that the Glock G19 is one of the most popular handguns in America. Developing a Glock chambered in .22 LR sounds like a no-brainer. It’s been three years in development, but that’s exactly what Glock did. The G44, chambered in .22 Long Rifle, stays true to the Glock design, but it has a few differences to compensate for the no-recoil .22 LR cartridge. The G44 is a striker-fired, blow-back, semi-automatic compact pistol. For most intents and purposes, it’s a Gen5—although Glock doesn’t call it a Gen5. It uses a modified G19 Gen5 frame and a hybrid polymer/steel slide. The barrel is the Glock Marksman Barrel (GMB) and is not a fixed-barrel like most rimfire handguns. The barrel stays straight during the entire cycling of the action.…

HISTORICAL NOTES In 2015, Nosler created its new .28 Nosler by necking up the .26 Nosler case—itself a derivative of the 7mm RUM case, which descended from the .404 Jeffery. Nosler supports this new cartridge with Nosler brass, Trophy Grade ammunition and M48 rifles in 26-inch barrel configurations. The .28 Nosler is the only cartridge in the family (.22, .26, .27 [wildcat], .28, .30, .33, .35 and .36 Nosler) that shares all the .26 Nosler case dimensions, with the exception of being necked-up. The .27 Nosler wildcat was changed from the .26 as well. The case might be the same length, but the shoulder datum was brought back to a shorter dimension. Nosler said there were two main reasons these features were changed between cartridges: Designers wanted to stay within…

Unless your heart is as cold and callused as winter asphalt, there’s some nook that holds a special place for BB guns. Before you stepped up to a trusty .22 LR and centerfire guns, these smooth-bore shooting irons were most likely what you first learned to build your sight picture and practice your trigger control with. For those of us trapped in our suburban cages, they might even still have a place in our lives. After all, you’ve got to have something to blow off steam or keep the squirrels away from the suet feeder. However, there are plenty out there who have strayed away from this gun style and see no need for one—at least until they have kids of their own. If you fall into this category, Crosman…

Navigating the precision rifle minefield can be difficult; the discipline isn’t cheap. I routinely advocate for investing in quality equipment and often avoid the lowest-common-denominator stuff that has never changed since the day it was released. Innovation in any industry is important for its growth and success. Shooting a precision rifle shouldn’t be any different. The annual SHOT (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade) Show in Las Vegas is the event at which many companies release new products. And although 2020 is young, it’s already raising the bar in every category. BIG ITEMS Savage Rifles fans are super loyal, and the company’s barreled actions are very good. However, they always came up a bit short in the design category. This will all change with Savage’s new Precision Rifles Series lineup, which…

Listings are FREE! Simply go online to create or manage your Gun Show Listing. Login or Register to create an account – GunShows.GunDigestMedia.com FEBRUARY Feb 1-2 GA, Marietta. Gun Shows of the South. Cobb Co. Civic Center, 548 S Marietta Pkwy SE. SH: Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun. 10am-4pm. A: Adults: $12, VIP: $14.50 - no line, no wait Kids: $4, VIP: $6.50 - no line, no wait VIP Tickets can be purchased online.RK Shows. PO Box 334, Manchester, IA 52057. PH: 563-927-8176. www.rkshows.com. Feb 1-2 IN, Kokomo. Gun & Knife Show. Kokomo Event Center, 1500 N Reed Road. SH: Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun. 9am-3pm. A: $5. F: $35. Central Indiana Gun Shows. PO Box 32, Centerville, IN 47330. PH: 765-993-8942. www.centralindianagunshows.com. Feb 1-2 KS, Wichita. US Weapon Collectors. Century II, 225 W…

If you want a firearm to last a day, buy it from someone who just wants to build a gun. If you want it to last a lifetime, buy it from someone who wants to build a reputation. Since 1977, few brands have worked harder than Wilson Combat to establish and maintain one of the most revered reputations for quality, performance and innovation within the firearms industry. The first five minutes of a conversation with Wilson Combat’s founder, Bill Wilson, will leave no doubt as to why. Because most of America isn’t likely to have that chance, Gun Digest has done it for you. To know and understand the Wilson Combat brand, one simply needs to know Bill Wilson, who’s never known a life without firearms, despite it not running…

“My old man is a television repairman; he’s got the ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.” That was the assurance Spicoli gave in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. He was wrong, of course, because it takes more than just tools to fix things. However, if you don’t have the tools, you’re out of luck—even if you have the skills. And portable tools are more likely to be there than non-portable ones. LONG NAME, SMALL PACKAGE, LOTS OF OPTIONS Enter the Wheeler Engineering Micro Precision Multi-Driver Tool Pen, whose name is bigger than the package. This kit comprises a pen-shaped screwdriver handle that’s hollow and a set of 17 tips. Twelve of those are in a separate press-fit tray. The screwdriver bits are your basics: a Phillips head (curse…

01 McMillan Z-1 Stock The right stock can make a precision rifle. The issue is finding a compatible platform. McMillan has made it easier with the introduction of its Z-1 stock—the first in the line of what the company calls its “Universal Stocks.” In short, the stocks are inletted to accommodate a broad variety of Remington 700 actions and most barrel contours—without any factory or user modifications. Essentially, it’s an out-of-the-box, drop-in affair. The Z-1 also provides the same top performance that McMillan is known for, with a fiberglass stock delivering the rigidity, adjustability and comfort you need to perform consistently. MSRP: $942 02 Black Aces Tactical Pro Series L Lever-Action 12-Gauge One of the most innovative shotgun manufacturers in recent years has done it again. Marrying the…

Sig Sauer is one of the most dynamic and innovative companies in the firearms industry today. This statement might seem to be one full of pomp and fluff, but you’ll be taxed to find a single company as of recently that’s introduced more designs with as much widespread acceptance—and criticism—than Sig Sauer. In this special article, Gun Digest provides a first look at one of the only existing prototypes of Sig’s brand-new Cross bolt-action rifle. The Cross is a ground-breaking design. Never before has there been a world-class bolt rifle introduced with an expected street price of less than $1,500. That, alone, will be enough to attract flocks of shooters to the design. And, while we’re going to cover the details of the rifle, there first needs to be some…

Even though FN’s pistols have traditionally been ahead of the trend, FN isn’t often one of the first brands people think of when standing at the gun counter. There’s a good reason for this: The company’s focus has largely been on building the best weapons possible for war fighters, not the civilian pistol market. With 16 variants of the FN 509 introduced since April 2017, that’s a pretty clear sign that FN America is taking pistols very seriously. THE FN 509’s HAMMER-FIRED HERITAGE Looking as far back as the FN FNP, which was developed for the 2006 Joint Combat Pistol Competition, you see the fully replaceable frame rails carried over to every FN pistol introduced afterward. The JCP competition also produced the FNP-45 Tactical, the first commercially available handgun to…

A custom fit is better. Serious shooters have been custom fitting their shotguns for centuries, but unless one is willing to pony up large amounts of cash for a custom gun, riflemen standing from 5 feet, 6 inches to 6 feet, 5 inches tall are all likely to be shooting the same standard-sized rifle. However, Benelli’s new bolt-action rifle provides another, more affordable customized option: the Lupo. At first glance, the Lupo looks different than most synthetic bolt-actions, with sleek lines that reflect its Italian heritage. Closer inspection reveals a nuanced, ergonomic firearm that provides superior functionality right out of the box, including a guaranteed sub-MOA three-shot group and up to 36 major fitting variations that, for most people, will effectively provide a custom-fitted rifle. Available as of August 2019,…