Innehållsförteckning för April 2018 från Guns & Ammo

LEVER-GUN MEMORIES I just finished reading SGM Kyle Lamb’s (Ret.), column in the February edition of Guns & Ammo. It brought back many memories like his experiences. I, too, started out with a lever-action BB gun and was a big fan of the old westerns on TV. I’m not sure how old you are, but I might be a bit further along as I was a fan of Have Gun — Will Travel starring Richard Boone, Roy Rogers in Wagon Train and, of course, Chuck Connors in The Rifleman. I used to use my uncle’s 1894 Winchester that sported an octagon barrel chambered in what I thought was a strange round: .32 Winchester Special. I killed my first whitetail buck with that rifle and it sure was a beauty! My…

THE TOPIC OF WOMEN-SPECIFIC and practical, concealment holsters is widely discussed, often attempted, but rarely accomplished. Why is it so difficult for women to find a way to conceal a handgun? The answer is easy: physiology. Women’s bodies typically feature shorter waists and wider hips than men’s, which makes drawing from conventional holsters difficult. Studies suggest that men are also typically 10 percent larger than women. This makes it more challenging for women to carry concealed using traditional methods of outside (OWB) or inside the waist band (IWB). There are some very good holsters available, but rarely do they meet the needs of a woman’s lifestyle. Most females have daily clothing restrictions based on their career or activity. On average, a woman is two times more anxious about fashion choices…

HONORED IS A WORD that accurately describes my feelings as I witnessed Craig Boddington receive the prestigious 2017 Weatherby Hunting and Conservation Award in Dallas, Texas. And I’ve never seen a man hold a smile for as long as he did that night. The Weatherby is the most desired hunting award due to the accomplishments that are required to win it. Further, the committee that considers nominees comprise many former recipients. It’s been said that the winner is “that hunter who has ethically taken the most varied, difficult, and largest number of species in the world, and who has not already won the award.” However, the requirements for consideration are more involved and demand contributions to conservation and education as well as a demonstration of good character and sportsmanship. Interestingly,…

THE SMOOTHEST 16-INCH BARREL carbine I’ve ever shot was Knight’s Armament SR-15 E3 (knightarmco.com). Its balance was incredible and the recoil impulse for its weight was unmatched by any other production duty rifle. One of the reasons for the SR-15 E3 being so smooth can be credited to its custom-length gas system. It spans 11.1 inches from the breech. Optimal gas porting, carrier weight, recoil spring and buffer weight can collectively contribute to making a rifle shoot the way that one did, but the gas system’s length played a significant role. Incorporating an intermediate-length gas system into your carbine is an alternative to spending more than $2,500 on a new rifle such as the SR-15 E3. Pioneered by VLTOR Weapons Systems (vltor.com) a decade ago, the intermediate length essentially splits…

Walther PPQ Q4 TAC Fast action and ready for suppression. WALTHER ARMS has another classic in the making in its new PPQ Q4 TAC 9mm pistol. Comfortable in competition and primed for personal defense, the platform is red dot sight (RDS) compatible and it comes suppressor ready with a standard factory-threaded barrel that drives tacks. This PPQ is an “M2” meaning that it has a reversible, American-style push-button magazine release in place of European-style levers that we originally saw on each side of the original PPQ’s triggerguard. If you’re familiar with Walther’s PPQ M2, the frame is unchanged. It’s as ergonomic as a pistol comes and has just the right amount of contour and texture to make it stick to your hand without being abrasive. And, the backstrap is replaceable…

ANNIE OAKLEY achieved worldwide stardom when she joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show in 1885, but she had been impressing spectators with her shotgun and rifle shooting for at least 10 years prior. Before Oakley (her stage name) began performing for audiences, she had to endure a hard upbringing in Ohio. To help her family, she learned to hunt and trap. According to her autobiography, she was so good at supplying game that she saved enough money to pay off the mortgage of the family farm. “Oh, how my heart leaped with joy as I handed the money to mother and told her that I had saved enough to pay it off,” Oakley wrote. Oakley continued setting shooting records into her 60s, and became well known for her efforts to…

MYSTERY S&W NO. 1½ Q: I recently acquired an old gun that I think is a Smith & Wesson No. 1½. There appears to be a mystery along with it. It is nickel plated and in remarkable condition. There are a few small chips, but otherwise it almost looks new. The cylinder locks up tight and the internal workings are smooth and crisp. The grips are wood with only one tiny chip on the right side. The serial number is 91XXX. Now for the mystery. It is engraved on the backstrap “Lt. A.L. Allen Sept. 1864.” I am told that this type of gun was only made from 1868 to 1875, which raises the question of the “1864” date. It doesn’t seem to be a birth date since no…

FEW THINGS IN THE FIREARMS WORLD develop a significant emotional attachment like that found between a rifleman who reloads and his brass. Just like the Sunday school lesson where the shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to go in search of the lost one, so will many riflemen search high and low for those last few pieces of fired brass. The attachment occurs because brass represents an investment of time and money. Cheap brass takes a lot of effort to achieve mediocre results, and then it doesn’t last more than a few firings. The best brass I’ve found across all performance metrics comes from Alpha Munitions. Alpha Munitions is unique from other brass manufacturers because the company stepped away from traditional manufacturing techniques devoted to turning out large quantities of brass,…