Innehållsförteckning för July 2018 från Guns & Ammo

BLACKPOWDER SAFETY In the May 2018 issue of Guns & Ammo, Garry James responded to a reader’s letter in “Reader Blowback” (page 10 and 11) that recommended duplex blackpowder loads for a .500 Black Powder Express (BPE) rifle. The first duplex load the reader described was 110 grains of Goex 2FG with 15 grains of SR 4759 against the primer. The letter also stated that 3.3 grains of Unique followed by 127 grains of 11/2 F Old Enysford blackpowder was another good load. This is not the case and is a safety issue that concerns us because it is unclear if these particular loads were tested in a pressure barrel in controlled laboratory conditions. We at Hodgdon would not recommend using smokeless powder in a duplex load with any muzzleloading…

RUGER MADE A SPLASH a couple of years back with their highly adjustable Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR) designed for long-range shooters. It not only works well from the bench and from the prone for competition, but it has so much adjustability and flexibility that the RPR has proven to be capable in the field. From that same vein, Ruger’s new Precision Rimfire is mining every nugget of precision ingenuity and putting it into an ideal platform for anyone trying to learn how to shoot from positions other than the bench or the prone because it is lighter and less expensive to shoot. It is one of the best positional shooting training rifles to come along in a long time. Shootability While it is natural to assume that a .22LR rifle…

WHILE PUMP SHOTGUNS have been serving in a defensive role for decades, their Achilles heel has been the inevitably slow reload when compared to other platforms that feature a detachable magazine (DM). Feeding one round at a time into a tubular magazine is slower and requires some dexterity that may be unavailable in a stressful situation for some folks. For some of us, shotgun reloads can be timed with a sundial — until now. Remington’s new 870 DM pairs a detachable box magazine with the iconic and time-tested 870 shotgun. (Since 1950, more than 11 million have been manufactured.) Now with a detachable mag, the 870 shotgun is an even stronger selection for defense. Changing the feeding system on a reliable-as-a-hammer shotgun could be disastrous. A fast reload isn’t worth…

EARLY BALLISTICIANS were challenged when solving how to measure the velocity of a bullet. Before mechanics, oscilloscopes and transistors, calculus was used to convert measurements into quantifiable speed as far back as 1738. Then, Swiss mathematician Daniel Bernoulli fired a cannon vertically and counted the seconds required for a ball to strike the ground. He was then able to apply mathematical principles developed by his family to determine velocity. The first practical measuring device was the ballistic pendulum invented by Benjamin Robins of England. The bullet would be fired into and retained by a heavy pendulum, which allowed transferred velocity to be formulated. The Grobert chronograph followed in 1804, which placed a disc of stiff paper at each end of a rod. The shaft was rotated at a precise speed…

HISTORY HAS REVEALED a continued interest in concealing a firearm, and designs have sometimes appeared rather unusual due to restricting factors such as clothing or nonpermissive environments. To adapt, firearms have taken various shapes of everyday objects such as canes and ink pens while others fold for ease of carry or to break up the “L” shape in a pocket. Recently, two folding guns have become all the rage. Let me introduce Full Conceal and Trailblazer Firearms. Full Conceal was developed by Mike Full in the wake of the 2012 mass shooting inside a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Not one law-abiding citizen was carrying a gun that night when 12 people were killed and 70 injured. Full felt that if more good guys had a gun, evil wouldn’t have…

LABELED AS Springfield Armory’s “most elite production 1911,” the Tactical Response Pistol (TRP) is a top-shelf successor to John Browning’s design that features the latest refinements. Intriguingly, this model is now offered in 10mm Auto. Produced in two iterations, these new TRPs are configured as either a standard full-size gun with a 5-inch barrel and fixed ledge-type night sights, or as a longslide housing a 6-inch barrel with a windageand elevation-adjustable rear target sight. The late Col. Jeff Cooper would surely consider the former to be a proper fighting gun. It is configured much like Springfield’s full-custom Professional model with rail as once used by the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT). Since the FBI played a pivotal part in the development of the 10mm cartridge, the marriage of the two…

WE CALL THEM “RED DOT SIGHTS,” but the proper term is “reflex sights” because the illuminated dot is reflected onto a lens. For sure, not everyone uses them, but reflex sights are adaptable to sporting and competition rifles, handguns, and shotguns, as well to a wide array of military, sporting and defensive firearms. Most optics manufacturers now offer a form of reflex sight. The original, and the grand-daddy of this popular class of sight, is the Aimpoint Electronic. Developed in 1974, introduced a year later, subsequent variants are still manufactured in Malmö, Sweden. Aimpoint Advantages The reflex sight is an optical sight that allows the shooter to focus on the target. Assuming a proper zero, all you have to do is superimpose the dot on the target. Target acquisition is…

WHETHER OR NOT you’re in the know about Model 1911-style handguns, you’ve probably heard of Kimber. From their beginnings as Kimber of Oregon in 1979, to their rebirth in Yonkers, New York, in the mid-1990s, Kimber has been a major player in the firearm industry long enough to brag about it. Although they manufacture several different types of firearms, they are arguably best known for their 1911s. The newest addition to Kimber’s handgun lineup is the KHX series in 9mm and .45 ACP. G&A spoke with Kimber’s director of product marketing, Winslow Potter, to learn the backstory of the KHX. “Take consumer feedback and build what they want.” said Potter. “This pistol boasts the most desired features that shooters currently ask for.” Let’s have a closer look. Modern Touches The…

DO YOU STRUGGLE to pull the slide back on a pistol? Is it painful to shoot small guns? Are magazines tough to load? If these questions apply to you, Smith & Wesson now offers an excellent solution with its new Shield variant, and it should be well received among an underserved segment of gun owners. Meet the new M&P380 Shield EZ. The long name is like an acronym that intends to convey what consumers need to know about it. The pistol is part of the M&P family that has been on duty since 2006. However, as we’ve learned in the last decade, you don’t need to wear a uniform to appreciate the qualities of S&W’s polymer-framed pistols. Still, we benefit from the durability that these pistols and rifles do offer.…