AMMUNITION

Basic Turbo-Charged .45...

When loaded heavy and fired in strong guns like the Ruger Blackhawk and Redhawk, the .45 Colt is one tough hombre.

Grizzly Cartridge Goes Cowboy

Yahoo! Strap on your spurs, adjust your ten-gallon hat and grab your favorite thumb-buster, hog leg or horse pistol and head into town to give a sixgun salute to Grizzly Cartridge Company.

Norma MHP Ammunition -...

The folks at Norma have been busy in the secret ammo lab. I've always admired their rifle and rimfire offerings, but haven't followed developments in the handgun area as closely.

Short Brass Long Chambers

One question often arising from handloaders has to do with the use of short brass and long chambers. Cartridges like the .38 Special in .357 Magnum and .44 Special in .44 Magnum chambers come to mind.

HSM Ammunition Adds To Their Low-Recoil Line

HSM’s new 6.5 Creedmoor Low Recoil variant reduces felt recoil by a staggering
47% making it ammunition for all generations.

Reasons To Reload

My first serious venture into reloading came out of necessity. It was the early years of the Obama administration and between the hoarders and the numbers...

Pistol Cartridge Semi-Auto...

In the late 1860s and early 1870s, Henrys and Winchester ’66’s (repeating rifles) became popular.

New Products March/April...

OTTO’s dual-mode NoizeBarrier Micro Earplugs heighten situational awareness while hunting in the field or on the range.

Loaded Fun With 231

I’ll admit, lately I find myself going back to the classics, powder wise. Namely, the Herculean powders: 2400, Unique and Bullseye — which were first...

Making It Go Bang

If you reload you get to do two fun things at once — shoot more — and reload!

Loading The .357 SIG

The .357 SIG has been around now for about 25 years. It’s a bottleneck cartridge, basically a .40 S&W necked down to .357.

Hornady Handgun Hunter...

I’m fond of repeating friend Dick Thompson’s statement, “You never master a handgun,” because it resonates the hard truth in such simple terms.

Steinel 10mm Auto

The 10mm has exploded in popularity and for many good reasons. It’s a powerful, reliable cartridge suitable for both semi-autos and revolvers of all types.

Handgunner Gift Guide

I know, I know … if you need it, you likely just buy it. But we need to keep in mind those who care for us constantly struggle to buy for us.

Critical Defense for When...

Offering reliable expansion without the possibility of clogging, Hornady Critical Defense is the ultimate choice for concealed carry firearms and self...

56 Years Young

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but you're never too old to learn something new—even reloading.

Are Your Bullets PC?

When it comes to cast bullets, we can find ourselves in a Catch-22. Many sixgun hunters prefer hollowpoint bullets for thin-skinned game, and therein lies...

Largest Expanding 9mm in...

Norma's new all-copper 9mm MHP delivers consistent penetration, repeatable expansion and great stopping power for concealed carry, home defense or personal...

New Products Nov/Dec 2019...

CrossBreed Holsters teamed up with Naroh Arms to develop a line of Holsters for Naroh Arms N1 pistols.

In The Red: Handloading...

Want some cutting-edge bullets for your next reloading project? Federal is now offering Syntech Component bullets.

The Ultimate Powder for...

An extruded propellant part of the company’s “Extreme Series” of powders, Hodgdon’s H4350 is designed to work in just about any condition.

Winchester WinClean 244

Are you a serious handloader who wants to get the most performance out of your handgun reloads?

Non-Essential Essentials

All of my straight-walled sixgun cartridges are sized with carbide sizing dies. Those that are not are first sprayed with Hornady One Shot Case Lube. This...

Norma Now Offers...

An all-around performer for concealed carry and home defense, Norma's MHP in 9mm Luger delivers reliable expansion, weight retention and accuracy.

The Virtually Unsnubbable...

Smith & Wesson’s J-frame -- what many consider the quintessential snub-nose revolver -- is virtually unsnubbable. That is, you can’t fault it for...

What I Carry: A...

I’ve almost always been the guy who carries a full-size handgun for CCW. I was willing to forego comfort for capability, wanting to make sure I had a gun...

Living Archive: The 9mm Myth

If you prefer a flat handgun that is easier to conceal and carries more rounds than a revolver, you have only to take your pick from the large array of 9mm...

5.11 Small Kit Tool Bag

While you’re creating an all-around survival kit list, I'll bet it numbers more than 10 items. Probably at least 20. So think of what you’ll put all...

.38 Special

The .38 Special arrived around 1900 in the S&W Military & Police. It soon became the number one cartridge for law enforcement use chambered in both S&W and...

What I Carry: Kahr Arms CM9

Living in a rural area finds me carrying a firearm in the truck on a daily basis. Our farm is just a few minutes' drive from our home and some type of gun...

Federal Adds Premium...

In 2018, Federal reinvented the proven Hydra-Shok bullet design with Hydra-Shok Deep in 9mm Luger. Now, it has expanded the line with new loads in 40 S&W...

What I Carry: Mossberg’s...

I’ll be frank with you, I almost exclusively carry mid- to full-size pistols in an IWB holster rig when I leave the house. Is it a hassle? Is it a lot of...

SIG Sauer Ammo Made In USA

In the late 1980’s I transitioned from revolvers to semi-autos on my police agency. We had a fairly limited palate of handgun designs we could carry and I...

Weighing Your Options

At Portsmouth lies the Mary Rose. What’s left of her. Launched in 1511, she sank 34 years later battling the French navy in the Solent, between England...

Shooting For The Moon

Whoever at Smith & Wesson was responsible for inventing the little pieces of spring steel commonly called “half-moon clips” should have received...

Eley .22 Ammo

Okay, quick — who’s been making ammo since 1828? Extra points if you can guess who makes the .22 ammo used by more Olympic medalists than all the other...

Slugfest

We frequently read we should “slug” our gun barrels so we know what we have to deal with to get the best accuracy. Jacketed bullets right at or .0005"...

The .44 Russian

Smith & Wesson introduced the first successful big-bore, centerfire sixgun, the Model #3 American, in 1869. This revolver was chambered in a .44 centerfire,...

Streak Ammo

Ammo Inc. — which has been around making more conventional but very high quality ammo for some time — has announced their new non-incendiary tracer...

Ballistic Gel Testing

Ballistic gelatin is a quality control tool you can bet your life on. It’s composed of water and gelatin powder, and should be mixed in specific ratios,...

Behind the Scenes: A...

There I was, minding my own business and running some errands when I spotted something really interesting in a parking lot. I looked over at the car parked...

Federal Premium Personal...

Federal Ammunition’s very existence is owed to the continued technological improvements that have been blasting down our barrels since 1922. Founding...

Keeping The Bang Going!

From a small handful of ammo makers years ago, to today’s almost limitless choices, the good old days are now — times 10 at least!

Favored ‘Modest’ .44...

I started reloading in the late 1950s using the Lyman #310 Tool. This is a “Nutcracker” type of tool requiring each step in the reloading process to be...

Tank’s Powder Coated...

By now, you’ve observed my proclivity for Powder Coated (PC) projectiles I’ve cast myself. In 30 years of casting, I’ve come to the conclusion PC cast...

MP-Molds

For you fellow lead-heads who find nothing finer than casting and shooting your own bullets, especially of the hollow-point (HP) persuasion, let me let you...

Grizzly Cartridge New .45...

Recently, Grizzly Cartridge released a new thumper in the form of a 335-grain WLNGC, or for the uninitiated, Wide Long-Nose, Gas Check slug. Loaded in...

Super Vel Ammo Is Back!

Super Vel is back! For those who remember the profound effect the original Super Vel had on police and defensive ammunition in the 1960’s and 70’s, this...

Callshot Brass?

In a nutshell, Callshot had to retire early in order to take care of his wife, Betty, who had MS. She was bedridden for 11 years and Steve was her sole...

The Perfect Storm For A...

A few days ago, I went to see my dentist, Dave, a knife loving, gun-toting friend I met while patrolling his neighborhood as a rookie cop. It was time for...

Federal Hydra-Shok DEEP...

The white lab coat “squints” at Federal Premium — you know, the guys with the slide rules and calipers — have been beating their ballistic brains...

The Bradshaw-Martin SWC

Being a handloader, I’m always looking for something new to try, experiment with, or experience, be it caliber, bullet, powder or gun. Yeah, I’ve been...

Unique: 5 Grains Is A...

Complaints about Unique being dirty, whether it’s the “old” Unique or the “new” Unique abound, and I don’t understand what the problem is.

British Boomers:

I must admit I find myself fascinated by British revolvers; you know, those “ugly” Enfields and the Webleys. They are not pretty, but they do have a...

Next-Gen Defensive Handgun...

While debates continue to rage about what constitutes the best caliber for personal defense in a handgun, the better question might revolve around bullet...

Pick Your Poison

I like bullets. I’m speaking of actual bullets and not loaded ammunition, which the idiots in the news media continually and mistakenly call “bullets.”

Loading Data Only New...

Where should we get reloading information? First, let’s look where we should not obtain data. The number one negative source is anonymous information on...

NovX 9mm Ammo

NovX has released factory ammunition using cutting edge technology, which is sure to influence the defensive ammunition market. The patent pending...

Handloading +P Brass

Some back-story first. Plus P (+P) brass is designed to be stronger than regular brass in order to withstand the additional pressure of +P rated cartridges....

AusKur’s Chambered...

When I first started handloading more than 60 years ago I was not far removed from the buffalo hunters of the 1870’s. I started with a single cavity Lyman...

S&W's Performance Center...

When His Editorship suggested I do some work with a Smith & Wesson Performance Center gun I was eager to jump on the ship. This was until I found out the...

Crooked-Seated Bullets and...

How important is it to seat the bullet perfectly strait in the case? What if the bullet is seated crooked? Does this affect accuracy?

A .30 Luger Barrel-Swap

Late last year I was trying to organize my reloading room a little better and as I was checking out my cabinet full of reloading dies I stumbled on both .30...

Charter Arms' New "Auto"...

Charter Arms has been going to the dogs for over half a century. In the mid-1960’s Charter Arms combined dogs and the .44 Special when they brought out...

SAAMI 90 Years and Counting

The year 2016 marked the 90th anniversary of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, known to most shooters and reloaders simply as...

Ruger’s SR1911 Target...

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1911 in 2011, Ruger brought out their first version of the 1911. It was a full-sized, stainless steel .45 with...

Loading the Super .38

Although we call it the .38 Super the correct name is Super .38. Early advertising, the box it came in, and the guns themselves were all marked: “Super...

Black Hills Ammo

"Every shipment to military units is manufactured as if each cartridge had to protect a life.” This perspective helped Jeff and Kristi Hoffman start an...

Sensible Heavy-Bullet...

Standard bullet weights for the .38/357 are normally around 158 grains; for the .44 Special/.44 Magnum, 240–250 grains and in the .45 Colt regular weight...

Fancy Gun + No Good Bullets =

Where would we be without good bullets? You can own the most expensive, impressive-looking “Holy Grail” handgun — but without a bullet capable of...

Shell Shock Technologies

Bullets have gone through tremendous advancements, especially in the past 40 years, while cartridge cases have been virtually unchanged since the very...

Cast Bullets For Non-Casters

My initial reloading efforts were not the most fruitful. This was in 1956–1957 and I had both a Ruger .357 Magnum 45/8" Flat-Top Blackhawk and one of the...

Feeding The Forty-Five

The first thing to learn is that you can’t learn everything. I’ve learned a little about 1911’s. Forty years ago I built a couple from parts. A local...

Nosedive And Feed Angle In...

You finally get to the range for some fun. You insert the magazine, rack the slide, and — it jams. The round has nosedived into the feed ramp and stopped...

Heavy Defensive Loads

Buffalo Bore has long been known for producing heavy hunting rounds for leverguns and big bore sixguns. Over the past few years, the line has been expanded...

Helps For Handloaders

The first after-market “consumer” cartridge boxes for reloaders I saw needed improvement right off the bat, however they worked much better than the...

SIG Sauer Ammo

I first encountered the name “SIG” in Jeff Cooper’s first book, Fighting Handguns way back in 1958. Cooper was really just getting started and already...

Everyday Workin' Loads

Whether we travel the sagebrush, foothills, forests, or mountains these are the sort of loads which will handle any situation. The sixgun chosen will...

The .32-20

The .32-20 started life in the Winchester Model 1873 and then shortly after was chambered in the newer Model 1892 rifle. The two other members of the...

Favorite 45 Bullets

Today’s reloader has a nearly endless supply of jacketed and factory cast bullets available for reloading the .45 Colt.

A Dozen Moronic Shooting Ideas

Can a bullet “knock down” an elk? Did the old cowboy’s load their SAA’s with only five-rounds for safety? And more falsehoods undone here ...

The .40 S&W: Too Strong or...

While the price of Maseratis has not risen as fast as the cost of health insurance under the oddly named Affordable Care Act, I’m resigned to live without...

A Close Look At: Ammo

As I write this, we’re starting to pull out of the empty-shelf syndrome, as ammunition slowly, ever so slowly, starts to reappear on shelves. Even the...

Handguns Of WWII Part 12

Now that we have covered the particulars of what I consider the most significant handguns used by the major combatant nations of World War II, it’s time...

Bullet Sizing:

When it comes to factory ammunition or reloading with jacketed bullets we really have very little choice when it comes to bullet diameter.

Those Fabulous .44s

A couple of issues ago, I wrote about velocity and why we shouldn’t worry about it too much, as long as there’s enough

Heavyweight Bullets In The...

One of the first manufacturers to offer suitable silhouetting sixguns was Dan Wesson, with their 8" and 10" heavy-barreled .357 Magnum.

Colt's "New" New Frontier

How does one improve on perfection? The original Colt Single Action Army was a study in perfect pistol perfection when it arrived in 1873.

Black Powder Basics

Elmer Keith in 1936 writing in his book Sixgun Cartridges and Loads, recommended the novice reloader start out with black powder; he basically said just...

Big Bullet Baloney

Some of the first heavyweight bullets for both the .44 Magnum and .45 Colt came from J.D. Jones and SSK Industries. He designed a 320-gr. flat...

True Custom Bullets

Belt Mountain Punch bullets are turned from solid brass one at a time on a lathe. The base is then hollowed out resulting in a core filled with lead while...