Innehållsförteckning för December 2021 från Guns & Ammo

G&A December 2021 OUR LIVES AFFECTED Mr. Poole, your September editorial “Lives Affected,” in a word, was excellent. Reading it evoked memories of my friends who I lost both on 9/11 and while serving this country in the Middle East. All were active law enforcement officers with some being military reservists who received the call-up. Yes, I remember where I was, too, on 9/11/2001: At work in my office at the San Diego Police Department. I watched in horror as the events unfolded on TV. I have sent you one of our SDPD keychains and a special lapel pin that I had made years ago. Thank you for the great work that you and the staff do to publish Guns & Ammo. Stay safe! George Head San Diego, California TRADITIONAL…

English-Cased Colt Model 1878 .455 Eley A handsome Colt Model 1878 revolver stamped with Colt’s Pall Mall, London, address realized a reasonable $3,444, including premiums, at the July 13, 2021, Morphy Auctions sale in Denver, Pennsylvania. The revolver is in .455 caliber, and is housed in an English oak case that includes 30 rounds of .455 Eley ammunition, a cleaning rod and other accessories. The blue-lined case with period-Colt dealer card, while not original to the revolver, is of the proper style and configuration for an 1878 Colt double-action. Condition of the revolver is good, the piece retaining much of its original nickel-plated finish. Grips are checkered walnut. The bore is excellent, as are the gun’s mechanics. For more information about this and future sales, contact Morphy Auctions at morphyauctions.…

MOST SHOOTERS associate “Ball Powder” propellant with Winchester, located in East Alton, Illinois, and Oxford, Mississippi. However, Ball powder has not been made by Winchester or at East Alton since the late 1960s. Ball powder propellant has been made by St. Marks Powder since 1969. St. Marks Powder is located near St. Marks, Florida, which is 2 miles north of the Gulf coast. Olin Corporation still owns Winchester ammunition, and formerly owned the St. Marks Ball powder plant until 1996. The plant and its operations are now owned by General Dynamics (GD) Ordnance and Tactical Systems (OTS) of Reston, Virginia. The history and ingenuity of Ball powder is fascinating, and it’s closely tied to both World Wars. Today, St. Marks Ball powder propellants are used in almost all U.S. military…

“TAKE MY MONEY!” That’s what I jokingly told the FN representative at the other end of a recent call. “Sir, that rifle is not for sale,” she firmly replied. “You have to send it back to us when your company is done with photography.” The rifle was FN’s new SCAR 17S, and its serial number ended in XXX100001. It is the latest version of the rifle initially developed for U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in 2004. The Mk 16 SCAR-L “light” in 5.56 NATO came first followed by the SCAR-H “heavy” in 7.62 NATO. Designated the “Mk 17,” the 7.62-chambered SCAR saw extensive use with USSOCOM during the Global War on Terror. There were other configurations called into service, which included the Mk 20 Sniper Support Rifle (SSR), taking the…

“Joe Kidd” Broomhandle Mauser Mauser Model 1896 “Broomhandle” semiautomatic pistols came into being just in time to see some use in the waning days of the American Wild West. This circumstance has been taken advantage of in a number of Western films, most notably the Universal film “Joe Kidd” (1972) starring Clint Eastwood. Eastwood, who plays the “Kidd” character, effectively uses the pistol when fleeing from bounty hunters. The 7.63mm, 10-shot pistol was complete with a wooden holster/shoulder stock, and had a barrel restrictor to allow it to function realistically when using blanks, a common practice in movies. Courtesy Mike Papac, Cinema Weaponry, Glendale, California, and The National Firearms Museum, Fairfax, Virginia.…

If I was looking for a hunting scope that offered the most capability for the lowest price, today I would purchase Leupold’s VX-3HD 4.5-14x40mm carrying a Windplex reticle. I used this scope on a hunt for scimitar oryx, and it did everything I needed from a hunting scope. The VX-3HD scope line is new and, if you look closely, you may notice that the magnification ranges offered match those of the discontinued Mark 4 scope line. The two lines share the same erector assembly, but the VX-3HD has a redesigned and improved optical package. The VX-3HD also benefits from an improved turret-manufacturing process. Leupold’s Mark 4 scopes, at one time, were the best tactical scopes made in America, and they often sold for around $1,500. For decades, they were in…

“Judging from your rifle’s appearance, the mixture of parts and workmanship, I would guess you do indeed have an example of Bannerman’s efforts.” COLT POLICE POSITIVE SPECIAL Q: I found this nice little Colt Police Positive Special in .32-20 WCF and was told that according to the serial number (232XXX) that it was manufactured in 1921, making it 100 years old. It has some holster wear and finish blemishes, but only a few light scratches, the worst on the crane in front and below the cylinder. The barrel is bright and shiny. The grips are original and in great shape. I know that ammo for this gun is hard to come by now, but can modern ammo be fired from this gun safely? I don’t want to shoot the wrong…

DESIGNED for NRAsanctioned bullseye events, the “B8” is the official target for timed- and rapid-fire stages. (The “B6” target is used for slow fire.) The B8 consists of a black bullseye with a 1.695-inch X-ring, a 3.36-inch 10-ring, and the 9-ring, which grows the black to 5.54 inches across. There’s also an 8-ring, which brings the entire center target size to 8 inches in diameter. While researching the history of bullseye competition, I was surprised at the lack of documentation regarding these targets. There is plenty of anecdotal history, but no specific history is easy to find in known books, and I found nothing digitized. What I do know is that NRA bullseye matches, known as “NRA Precision Pistol” matches since 2010, have existed in its current three-pistol, 2,700-point format…

I’VE LONG ADMIRED firearm manufacturers that not only build a great product, but are also willing to expand proven lines to give users a greater degree of choice and variety. In handguns, we often see this as different-size models within the same family, each distinct for its barrel and slide length, frame size and magazine capacity, and upgraded feature sets such as optic-mount cuts and suppressor-ready barrels. The approach ensures consistency for consumers; the guns look the same, the controls are in the same place, and they often use the same magazines, albeit in different lengths. Today, shooters can choose the right tool for a job without needing to sacrifice familiarity and proficiency. The FN 509 series of 9mm pistols are such an example. The striker-fired semiautomatics are available in…

IN THE 1980S, imported semiautomatic rifles such as the FN FAL, the Galil and Steyr AUG were available, and prices were not out of line with the Colt AR-15s of the day. I recently uncovered an HK price list dated “January 1, 1985.” Included were several HK-91 and HK-93 variants starting at $599! And you could still purchase a PSG-1 for “$5,388.” Those guns became unaffordable when then-President George H.W. Bush invoked the “sporting purpose” clause of the Gun Control Act of 1968. With a stroke of his pen in 1989, he denied the import of 43 types of semiautomatic rifles. The ban created an immediate demand for more than 400,000 legally imported guns. Some rifles escaped the ban — temporarily. As a teenager, I remember seeing crates of SKS…