American Handgunner Handguns Archives

So you carry a snubby. But...

Some weeks ago a friend, Detective Dick Peters, and I, watched a made-for-TV movie one night at my place. It was called ''A Small Killing" and starred...

4

S&W Performance Center M&P...

When S&W released their M&P .380 Shield EZ, it caused a lot of head scratching. Why a mid’ish-sized .380? The question was answered after a host of gun...

10

Heizer's PK045

It may seem impossible, but here it is. A semi-auto in .45 ACP about the same size as a 9mm compact. The design is brilliant, and the materials and...

2

Handguns Of WWII, Part 5

Next to the Luger, Germany’s most recognized World War II handgun was the Walther-designed P38. It’s credited as being the first military pistol with a...

7

Aimpoint Acro P-1

I’ll admit to liking the challenge of shooting with iron sights, but I’m hardheaded. Nothing’s more satisfying knowing you’ve lined up your front...

6

New, Old Colt Defender ......

You know the Colt Defender. It’s a classic 1911 for concealed carry, an old-timer showing how to pack .45 ACP into a small, rough and tumble platform....

24

Revolvers And Home Defense

In the “old” days almost everyone had a “wheel gun” sitting in the sock drawer at home, carried in a leather holster — or sometimes just shoved...

31

Handguns Of WWII, Part 4

Without a doubt the U.S. Army’s adoption of Model 1917 .45 ACP revolvers was a “make-do” situation. And also without a doubt it “made-do” very...

1

.25 ACP Ragtime Wonders

Every Era deserves its Index Fossil and no material remnant evokes those carefree days from 1890 until roughly WWI quite as convincingly as the small,...

6

A Betta' Beretta

In the world of defensive handguns, Beretta is a name to conjure with. And in the world of its popular Model 92, the same’s true of the name Ernest...

3

Little Big Gun

I’ll be frank with you. I normally have practically zero interest in micro .380s. Am I impressed by the engineering expertise in getting a bullet this...

2

Springfield Armory's XD(M)...

The Springfield Armory XD series of handguns occupies a unique niche at your local gun emporium. These weapons are short-recoil, polymer-framed combat...

4

Handguns Of WWII, Part 3

A statement I’ll make about the British Enfield No. 2 Mk I .38 revolver is one I’m not willing to make about any other British weapons of World War II....

1

Remington 1911 R1 Ultralights

Combining legendary 1911 performance with a new lightweight design, the Remington 1911 R1 Ultralight is a great option for today’s shooters.

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How I Carry

I don’t always carry a Glock 26 in a shoulder holster, but when I do, it’s usually in a Diamond D Custom Leather rig. This good-looking, functional...

4

Franklin Armory Reformation

We all know SBRs (Short Barrel Rifle) are handy and convenient, along with being top-tier cool on the fun scale … but they have one drawback. Their...

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You Never Forget Your First…

No doubt about it, good, bad, or ugly — you never forget your first, well…anything. Be it first day of school, first kiss, first car or first car wreck

11

Handguns Of WWII, Part 2

As with so many Americans during most of my life, I felt nothing but disdain for Japanese firearms. In fact in the pages of American Handgunner I’ve...

2

ZEV Technologies:...

It would make no sense and strike as arrogant to assume refinements to GLOCK striker-fired handguns would not benefit the user after nearly 40 years of...

20

Safely Practice With Your Gun

You can train with a blue gun or a red gun but it won’t be your gun. But when you do non-shooting training drills with your gun — a real gun —

23

Handguns Of WWII, Part 1

Luger P08 9mm pistols were considered the best souvenirs by American troops in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) during World War II. That’s...

31

Kimber KHX Pro (OR) .45 ACP

There’s nothing worse than having to send your beloved “Betsy” away! Separation anxiety, followed by night tremors, cause you to sweat bullets, as you...

11

The Long Vs. The Short Of It

In a letter to Handgunner reader Jens Jensen commented, “Roy ... I read the book he (John Taffin) suggested, The Secrets of Double Action Shooting by Bob...

17

Help For Hurting Hands

Sooner or later age catches up with all of us. For some of us, ailments such as arthritis, bursitis or neuropathy affect our ability to shoot any kind of...

16

None dare call it...

Pay close attention to the release of the FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2018 in late September and refer quickly to Table 15 under “Homicides,” because...

24

Ruger Security-9 Compact

Last year, Ruger released an Affordable-Care Act we could all sink our teeth into with the Security-9, a full-size, 15+1, hammer-fired 9mm. Despite an MSRP...

3

Turbocharging Your Glock

Americans simply live to customize stuff. Aftermarket widgets abound to amp up our automobiles, cell phones, fashions — even teeth. In no place is this...

20

Trigger Nometry

Squeeze them, pull them, press them, slap them, whatever you do to make a gun go boom, you do it with a trigger. Arguments abound about how you do it and...

4

The Devil By Another Name

He may have meant well. “It’s a double-stack DA. Threaded. Ported. Night sights. Lemme show you.” The young lady handed the pistol back. He cycled...

2

Naroh Arms N1

The Naroh Arms N1 is a sub-compact, single-stack, 7+1, DAO hammer-fired, polymer-framed 9mm pistol that was years in the making. I could stop here, but then...

0

Behind the Scenes — My...

I’ve become quite enamored with the new MC1sc pistol from Mossberg and have made it my primary pocket carry gun since I picked one up earlier this...

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Ruger’s Wrangler

When word trickled out about Ruger’s new Wrangler, the Internet was abuzz as naysayers were gearing up with ludicrous Ned Ludd worries. Turns out these...

13

"Plastic Pistol" (from the...

Here's the media's latest cause celebre, the next awful thing the gun manufacturers have propagated to endanger us. It's the plastic gun, the one that can...

12

Ruger Custom Shop SR1911

Oh, hi Paul,” I said, answering the phone. It’s always nice to hear from Paul Pluff as he’s usually the bearer of news of note. Paul is a dear old...

0

Performance Center S&W 45...

The mere words “Performance Center” blended with the moniker S&W, brings a wry smile across the lips of those who know a thing or two about guns.

20

Ruger’s Blued SP-101

Ruger’s been at it yet again and it’s why we love them so much! Using their SP-101 platform this time, they released a powerful-punching wheelgun using...

30

Taurus Tracker 692…

Whether you need the raw power of a .357 magnum for your heavy-handed chores, or desire something a little more subtle, for light-duty paper punching, like...

39

Speedloading Handguns...

Thumbing (electronically) through the July/August 1982 issue of American Handgunner, the editor's note at the end of the "Speedloading Handguns Takes Skill"...

5

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 much....

14

Performance Center S&W 442...

Who doesn’t love a J-Frame? Not doing so is as un-American as skipping over a John Wayne movie while channel surfing.

5

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...

26

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...

12

FN 509 Mid-Size Prize...

In a world brimming of poly-framed, striker-fired 9mm pistols, the mere thought of yet another release will surely torque traditionalists’ tempers....

16

Dan Wesson: Red Hot 9mm’s

To those of us still clinging to the sanctity of the 1911 and the beloved .45 ACP cartridge, technology has chipped away at our core assumptions leaving us...

19

Behind the Scenes: The...

The Gun — and the Challenge …

Ruger’s cool new SR1911 Competition Pistol is our cover gun for the July/Aug 2019 issue of Handgunner. All well and...

4

Exclusive: Ed Brown EVO-KC9

Ed Brown Products arguably make one of the finest 1911’s on the market. Don’t think so? Then you’ve probably never had the privilege of shooting one!...

5

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...

3

Hot SHOT Show Products

In the movie “Amadeus” the king accuses Mozart’s music of having “Too many notes!” and wants him to “…cut some out.” We feel Mozart’s pain...

2

The Air-Powered Fun Zone

We can’t always get to the range to shoot our fire and brimstone guns, and frontyard ranges tend to upset the neighbors — at least some neighbors.

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A New Direction

It’s amazing how far you can end up from where you began. From the unintended discovery of penicillin to the creation of Superglue during the development...

3

NAA's Ranger II

After many years of making their beautiful little updated version of the solid-frame spur-trigger revolver, they decided to try something different.

19

S&W Model 460XVR

There’s no doubt, most Americans like things big — really big. We like big trucks with big tires and big motors. Big boats, big homes, big farms, you...

30

Taurus Officer & Commander

Both my Grandfathers wore overalls to work seven days a week. Farmers, they were the salt of the earth, hardworking, honest men. Far from being city-slicker...

1

The Knocabout Revisited:

I was casting about at a garage sale some years ago and my eye caught what I first thought was an air pistol of some sort. When I picked it up, I realized...

2