Innehållsförteckning för June 2019 från Guns & Ammo

.380 FOR CARRY I’m a huge fan of .380 ACP carry guns. My daily is a Ruger LCP II. Although newer bullets and ammo now make the .380 a viable self-defense choice, I’m wondering why none of the manufacturers load 115-grain bullets commercially? I load them, and they perform beautifully on the range. However, I hesitate to carry self-defense handloads for legal reasons. I’ll bet there are a lot of folks that wish for .380 ACP loads in 115-grain from the factory! Harv Lyter Boise, Idaho You are absolutely correct in that recent bullet developments have brought the .380 to the point  that it can be considered for self-defense. The best of these loads, in my opinion, are the Black Hills Honey Badger, Hornady Critical Defense and Speer Gold Dot.…

A very nice Enfield No. 4 (T) Sniper Rifle with original wooden transit case went for a comfortable $3,900, including premiums, at the February 6, 2019, Morphy Auctions sale. The rifle’s socket was appropriately stamped “M47G 1945 U” along with the serial number, and the gun includes a proper, original No. 32 scope. The bottom of the stock is stamped “S51” indicating that it was set up by Holland & Holland. Neither scope nor mount match. However, the scope’s serial number does match the one on the transit case. Condition of the arm is excellent with only minor service blemishes. For more information about this and future sales, contact Morphy Auctions, morphyauctions.com, 877-968-8880.…

GROWING UP in the 1960s, I was crazy about World War II history after my mother told me that my father, Robert Emary, was a paratrooper in the war. My father was a member of the 101st Airborne and had served at Bastogne in Belgium. I read and researched what I could and quickly found myself in awe. My father, like most combat veterans, rarely said much about his service. However, the 2001 miniseries “Band of Brothers” provided a reason for him to start talking about his service. When he finally saw “Band of Brothers,” my father had a difficult time watching it. He told me, “Short of the smells, that’s how it was.” My father was a member of the same 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment as E Company, the…

THE FIRST P.08 LUGER I handled is the property of U.S. Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant Travis Thompson. We were young corporals working in an armory when he brought his bring-back in for repair. It was the souvenir of Thompson’s grandfather, U.S. Army Sgt. Donald Thompson, a “Motor-T” driver from Grinnell, Iowa, during World War II. When it came to me, the Luger had a broken firing pin and a worn side-plate. Besides the need for replacement parts to make it work, the Luger was complete, albeit with a barrel that was curiously missing half its bluing. The 1916-manufactured DWM Luger was storied to have been picked up on the battlefield after it was found stuck in a pool of blood and snow, but this was not verifiable. The Luger was…

“Silverado” Enfield Revolver About 30 years ago, I was called by my friends at Stembridge Gun Rentals in Glendale, California, who wanted an opinion on what type of revolver Englishman John Cleese should carry in his role as Sheriff John T. Langston for the western film “Silverado” (1985). Having visited Stembridge on a regular basis, I often spent considerable time in the handgun room. I remembered a British 1884 Mark II Enfield revolver that I thought would be just dandy. They took my advice and the gun ended up being featured prominently in the film. A scarce piece in its own right, this particular Enfield had been in Stembridge’s inventory for a considerable period of time and was also seen in the Cecil B. DeMille epic “North West Mounted Police”…

Auto-Ordnance Thompson M1 .45 ACP THEIR MISSION was to seize German fortifications at Pointe du Hoc, a promontory with a 100-foot cliff overlooking the English Channel on the northwest coast of Normandy, France. It was the highest point between the American landings at Utah and Omaha beaches. The German army had installed concrete casemates and gun pits for fortification the year prior, but had yet to place their large guns. Under the cover of fire support from three Allied ships, Rangers scaled the cliffs using rope ladders that weren’t nearly long enough. Almost an hour later, members of the U.S. Army Ranger Assault Group reached the top, secured the battery area and defended against counter-attacks until they were relieved two days after on June 8, 1944. “RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!”…

GROWING UP I was infatuated with those who fought in World War II. This was largely driven by knowing my father was a paratrooper, which was about all he told me until later in life. Still, I wanted to know what he experienced. My imagination led to my collection of every type of plastic army man, including the complete collection of original G.I. Joe figures with their equipment. I had a plastic M1, and even went so far as to build a wooden M1919 Browning machine gun with just a broom handle, plywood and balsa wood for the sights. I played army constantly. As an adult, I acquired a number of World War II firearms and equipment. In the last 10 years of my father’s life, I found out more…

THE ALLIED INVASION of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944 was the largest amphibious operation that ever was — and ever will be. The plan was audacious, elaborate and risky. Involving almost 200,000 allied troops, the bulk of the force was made up of Americans, British, and Canadians, but there were also contingents of soldiers representing at least a half-dozen nations. Waiting for them were some 80,000 determined Axis defenders who, while initially caught by surprise, mounted a fierce resistance. A quarter-century ago, my wife Susan and I accompanied our good friends Terry Kaplan and Karen Efron to the 50th anniversary of the D-Day celebrations in Normandy — le Jour-J for you Francophiles. Kaplan shipped over his 1943 white M3 Scout Car, which was our conveyance from event to event.…

COLT 1903 POCKET HAMMER AUTO Q: I am writing on behalf of my grandfather who has an old .38 rimless Colt semiautomatic pistol that his grandfather used as a law enforcement officer in southern New Mexico. My grandfather always reads your articles and he would like you to evaluate this pistol for value and history. Attached are the pictures. Keep in mind that this handgun is fully functional and taken care of. K.&J. M. Email A: I see by the serial number in the photo of your grandfather’s grandfather’s Model 1903 Pocket Hammer pistol that it was made in 1915. Model 1903 Hammer models were manufactured from 1903 to 1929. Some 26,000 were produced. Unlike the smaller Model 1903 Hammerless, the Hammer version, with a few slightly different parts, was…

THE U.S. MILITARY got a comprehensive education in sniping during World War I. Troops at the time were shooting Springfield Armory M1903 rifles equipped with either the 1908 or 1913 model Warner & Swasey (W&S) telescopic musket sights. Dismal in performance by today’s standards, these sights represented the best technology of the times. Both had an odd sight offset and a mounting system that made it difficult for the shooter to put accurate rounds on target. While only two models of W&S sights saw action during World War I, there were other telescopic sights in use within the military’s competitive shooting teams, and a few of them were in testing to be fielded. With the W&S sight offset issue solved, the Winchester A5 and Winchester Model 1918 scopes showed great…

Type: Blowback, semiautomatic Cartridge: .45 ACP Capacity: 20 rd. and 30 rd. Barrel: 16.5 in., smooth taper Overall Length: 38 in. Weight: 11 lbs., 8 oz. Stock: Walnut, fixed; laser engraved Grips: Walnut; laser engraved Length of Pull: 17.125 in. Finish: Cerakote, Olive Drab, Brown Trigger: 9 lbs., 5 oz. (tested) Sights: Fixed post (front); fixed L-aperature (rear) Safety: Two-position pin lever MSRP: $1,886 Manufacturer: Auto-Ordnance, 508-795-3919, auto-ordnance.com…

Notes: Accuracy is the average of five, five-shot groups shot at 25 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocity is the average of five, five-shot groups measured at 10 feet. Notes: Accuracy is the average of five, five-shot groups shot at 100 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocity is the average of five, five-shot groups measured at 10 feet using a Chrony Beta chronograph. Notes: Accuracy is the average of five, five-shot groups shot at 100 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocity is the average of five, five-shot groups measured at 10 feet using a Chrony Beta chronograph.…

THE FIREARM INDUSTRY is no stranger to attacks from politicians, the media and members of the trial bar. Last year, however, publicly-traded outdoor companies found a new foe: certain shareholders. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) and American Outdoor Brands Corp (NYSE: AOBC), the parent company of Smith & Wesson (S&W), both faced resolutions in 2018 from activist shareholders demanding that each company produce reports on “efforts to monitor gun violence, to research and produce safer guns, and for an assessment of reputational and financial risks.” These resolutions were submitted by a coalition of religious groups including Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary order of nuns, Catholic Health Initiatives and other faith-based groups. These entities purchased sufficient shares of RGR and AOBC stock and leveraged enough…