Gun Digest December 2024

I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but I tend to do a lot more reflecting now than I do while spending time on other pages of the calendar. It makes sense that year-end brings about a natural desire to reflect, but I also do a lot of hunting … which often leads to an excess of idle time with an idle mind. A few weeks back I was hunkered against a tree in a deep patch of timber, waiting on a whitetail that was clearly somewhere else: The warm and sunny weather was ideal for comfortable hunting, but less so for actually putting deer on their feet. I began finger-tracing the color patterns on my rifle’s stock (the rifle on the cover of this issue)…

HISTORICAL NOTES Likely, the development of the 22 Creedmoor began as far back as 2007, when the 6.5 Creedmoor was introduced, and shooters simultaneously had the notion to neck-down the 6.5 Creedmoor case to accept .224-diameter bullets. Horizon Firearms of College Station, Texas, claims to have been the first rifle commercial maker to chamber the 22 Creedmoor in early 2014. The company has promoted the wildcat cartridge ever since. GENERAL COMMENTS Indeed, the development of the 22 Creedmoor sped up in early 2017, when Hornady introduced 6mm Creedmoor factory ammo, making the step down from .243- to .224-diameter bullets in those cases much more manageable. Getting to 22 Creedmoor from 6 Creedmoor is a straightforward pass through a full-length die. Also, Alpha Munitions and Peterson Cartridge produce factory 22 Creedmoor…

About 30 years ago, I met one of my best friends during a traffic stop. The first words he ever said to me were, “I have a gun.” During the next few moments, we sorted out the violation—nothing more than an expired tag—and then we had a long conversation about guns. I’m not saying you’re likely to meet your next best friend on a traffic stop, but I can give you some advice to keep you from having a dreadful experience and possibly ruining the rest of your day. But first, understand this: I live in West Virginia, which is a constitutional carry state. Here you do not need a permit to carry a concealed handgun or any loaded firearm in your vehicle. However, firearms laws about vehicle transport and…

WOULD YOU RATHER? With two teenage girls living under my roof, I get sucked into the occasional game of “would you rather?” It’s not an experience I’d wish upon any grown man, but because I do genuinely enjoy spending time with them (when they’re not trying to maim one another), I’ll play along now and again. After admitting that I’d rather listen to Rihanna than Taylor Swift—both are forms of cruel and unusual punishment, by the way—I tossed one out to my girls: Would you rather lose an eye or lose a leg? The universal answer was that they’d rather give up a leg than an eye, and I couldn’t agree more: You can always buy a new leg, but seeing … well, seeing is everything. It’s the last of…

As a firearms instructor, one of the most common misconceptions I encounter is the idea that carrying a firearm without a round chambered is a safer option than carrying a firearm with a round in the chamber. This philosophy, often referred to as “Israeli Carry,” might seem logical at first glance. The logic goes something like this: A firearm without a round in the chamber is safer and less susceptible to a negligent discharge, which is more common than the use of firearms for self-defense. In a dangerous situation, simply draw your weapon, rack the slide and fire. However, this seemingly simple action can have devastating consequences in a real-world self-defense scenario. Let’s consider a real-life example. A video circulating online shows an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier being attacked…

01 Kimber CDS9 As a successor of Kimber’s KDS9c family of pistols, the CDS9 looks to continue to give armed citizens the best of both worlds. Not only does the all-metal, micro-compact 9mm offer up the time-tested design of the iconic 1911, but it does so in a modern package with all the bells and whistles you’ll find on a polymer striker-fired gun. Of all its assets, the hammer-fired single-action weight is among its most attractive, tipping the scales at only 21.8 ounces—perfect for EDC. Additionally, the CDS9 features an accessory rail, ambidextrous safety and mag release and, to top it all off, it’s optics-ready. Plus, 10-, 13- and 15-round magazines are standard. MSRP: Starting at $1,075 02 Gemtech Direct Thread Abyss and Neutron Series Suppressors Funny as it might…