Innehållsförteckning för April 2021 från Gun Digest

In your hands sits Gun Digest’s annual nod to home defense. And as I so oft en do when writing this column, I went back in time 12 months to see where my head was at … and I found this: “As I write this from the well-armed confines of my work-from-home desk, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States sits at approximately 100 people. By the time these words hit the printer, those stats will be obsolete. And by the time you read this Gun Digest issue? Well, that’s anyone’s guess …” Pandemic. Presidential election. Riots. Texas ice storms. Ammo (and guns) shortage. Hell, toilet paper shortage! It’s been a weird 12 months for sure. And, I know that everyone gets to define “normal” for themselves,…

The idea is to keep bad guys out of your home and that doesn’t start with a sign on the door that says, “This home protected by Smith & Wesson,” and end with a .44 Magnum under your pillow. Too often, when home defense is considered, guns are the first priority. Having a firearm for home defense is a great idea, and while it should be an integral part of the plan, it’s your last resort option. Home defense is a comprehensive strategy that should be well layered and ultimately prevent you from going to your gun. Understandably, there are so many different types of dwellings, in so many different types of locations, that all of the factors related to home defense cannot be addressed here. However, we can establish…

Ammo isn’t easy to come by these days. For some folks, finding a box of 9mm FMJ is like winning the daily scratch-off. For others, locating a fresh box of Hornady Critical Defense is like winning the state Powerball. Luck has just as much to do with it as any game, and you’re often competing against other like-minded people who get up at 7 a.m. to get in line when the truck arrives at Cabela’s. This has made it necessary to look at some less-than-conventional options for protecting yourself at home and on the mean streets. MAKING THE BEST OF WHAT’S ON THE SHELF A cursory walk around a sports store usually reveals that ammunition isn’t out, but just heavily picked over. The 9mm Luger is scarce due to the…

So now that we know a bit about the specifications and data for the 9mm cartridge, what is it that makes it so popular? It does not have stellar, tackdriving accuracy like other pistol calibers, nor does it have the power of other cartridges. It is far from the perfect cartridge but is still the most prevalent worldwide. Even science gives the 9mm low marks compared to larger calibers. It’s simple physics. A bigger, heavier bullet carrying more energy means a deeper and larger wound channel. So why is the 9mm king? There are three reasons: Shoot-ability, increased magazine capacity, and ammunition choices. Before we get into these, let’s talk physics and math. A light projectile sheds velocity and energy faster than a heavier one. More velocity equates to more…

HISTORICAL NOTES If there’s one shotshell that holds all titles as most versatile, most popular and most varied in loading, the 12 gauge is it. Except for the .22 rimfire, by almost any measure the 12 gauge is the most popular sporting chambering ever offered. It’s commonly available loaded with shot made of lead, steel, tungsten/iron, tungsten/polymer or bismuth. Current shot charges range from about ⅞ ounce to 2½ ounces. Common shot sizes range from No. 9 through 000 Buck. Slugs are typically 1 or 1¼ ounce, but other weights are available. Further, it’s relatively simple to have a moderately sized batch of custom-loaded 12-gauge ammunition (with either an odd-sized shot or reduced velocity), produced by a major manufacturer. To gain a true perspective, just consider that at one time…

After traveling overseas, when I land back in the United States I feel at ease and much more relaxed. When I get home—back to my house—that level of ease and relaxation is even further heightened. A man should feel safe in his own country and especially in his own home, and not just because you’re around friends and can wear your Batman pajamas. At home, you should be safe from ridicule—some folks think grown men shouldn’t wear pajamas—and violence. Many turn to a firearm as their frontline of home defense, but, in reality, it should be their last. In fact, from a tactical perspective, there are a lot of things you can do to increase the security level of your home that don’t involve a firearm. I reached out to…

For a very long time, the lever-action rifle was the behind-the-kitchen-door gun for a lot of Americans. It was capable of killing a chicken-stealing fox, a garden-grubbing groundhog, a whitetail deer and any intruder with nefarious intentions. Toward the end of the last century, an AR-15 in some form or another started to supplant the lever-gun as America’s de facto general-purpose rifle. The AR-15 fills that category nicely but with the ever-changing political landscape, some are looking for a viable alternative. The lever-gun is still here and can once again fill that need. The most common lever-action rifle cartridge is the .30-30 Winchester. When compared to modern cen-terfire rifle cartridges, it’s generally considered weak and underpowered. In truth, the .30-30 Winchester is quite formidable; it’s capable of taking any game…

HOLSTER DESIGN A holster manufacturer recently sent me several holsters to try and asked that I offer feedback. The holsters were well made but were equipped with a flange that extended from the rear of the holster up behind where the slide portion of the handgun stuck out of the holster. This is not a bad thing; it can make wearing a holster more comfortable, because it can prevent the handgun from digging into your torso when you bend or flex. It also serves as a mechanism for helping to keep your shirt clear of the holster during the draw or when holstering. The problem with the holsters I was evaluating was that this flange was too wide. In other words, it was significantly wider than the handgun’s slide. Because…

01 Rapid Safe Ready Vault Hindering access to a firearm in a pinch, some shun the idea of keeping their home-defense arms under lock and key. They don’t have to. Hornady’s Rapid Safe has rethought keeping firearms secure, yet at hand and has expanded its horizons to long guns with the Compact Ready Vault. Heavy-gauged steel and five-harden locking bolts, the locker is virtually unimpregnable to unauthorized individuals. But need a defensive rifle or shotgun in a pinch, with three modes of entry—biometric, RFID and keypad—the safe opens in a snap. Right-sized for a hallway closet or corner of a bedroom, the safe incorporates inconspicuously into a room. Yet, its interior space is enough to hold a couple of long guns and handguns. MSRP: $411 02Kimber Rapide Black Ice Never…

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In this, the 21st century, when the whole world seems enamored with the 9mm pistol, it can be difficult to remember that for a long time the world was made safe by means of big-bore revolvers. Granted, a lot of that was done by the Colt single action when it was the sine qua non of defensive tools. I’m not saying you should go back to a brace of Colts as your defensive armory (although you wouldn’t be unarmed, were that your only option), but the bigbore double-action revolver has a lot going for it. DISPLACEMENT WITH CLASS Case in point, my S&W 625. The 625 is the S&W N frame in .45 ACP. It’s made of stainless steel and has a barrel with a full-length underlug so there’s mass…