REVOLVERS

One Eye — Or Two?

Should I shoot with one eye open — or two? The short answer is two. Most shooters, most of the time, are better off with both eyes open. Most of the top competitive shooters I’ve observed...

Ruger's .22 Wranglers

In 1956 I was straight out of high school and purchased my first handgun, a Ruger .22 Single-Six for $63.25. At the time I was working for $0.90 an hour so this pistol took almost two week’s pay.

Preferences, Opinions and...

The advice you get when trying to choose a new gun may come from a father, brother, sister, uncle, cousin, co-worker, magazine article, online forum, or your previous experience. There are...

Revolver Trappings

Arevolver’s strength lies in its simplicity, but these must-have accessories will profoundly improve performance. From grip, to reloading, to cleaning, to carry — these goodies could ramp up...

Ruger’s Brawny Beasts

Ruger introduces two new revolvers with the GP100 in .44
Special and the Redhawk in .357 Magnum.

Peacemaker Specialists

The 1880s was arguably the peak of the Victorian era art form. During this period, craftsmen — more artisans than not — performed inordinately ornate...

Behind Enemy Lines:...

It might be surprising to some in more recent generations there was a time when many of our celebrities and entertainers were more than just carnival...

"Load/Accuracy Charts Are...

At times readers ask me, “Why doesn’t Handgunner have many load or group charts?” My response is, “Because we think they are next to worthless.”...

A Rifle-Round Ruger Blackhawk?

When the United States military adopted the .223 as its standard cartridge, thousands upon thousands of rounds of .30 Carbine surplus ammo were offered to...

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....

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...

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...

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...

Turnbull Bisley Blackhawk

When you get down to it, sixgunners are about as different as a carton of eggs. Sure, we have thicker shells, but the majority of us are throwbacks from...

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...

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...

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"...

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....

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.

What I Carry: Mike’s...

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...

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...

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...

Let Mag-Na-Port Marvelize...

Last year, after passing through Detroit, things start looking “normal” as bait shops, gun shops and outdoor centers start popping up along the road....

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. About...

Dan Wesson Turns 50

Dan Wesson, great-grandson of the original Daniel B. Wesson, had a different idea. Not only was he part of the original Wesson family he also served many...

Muzzle Velocity VS. Barrel...

Just how much muzzle velocity is lost as we shorten a barrel? Most shooters respond with 50 fps per inch. Is this actually true? When working on an article...

Robar's Revolver Rehab

As a pistol instructor and range safety officer, I see a lot of new shooters signing up for basic pistol classes. This surge in students is due partly to my...

Red Dot Reduction For A...

There’s no doubt about it, kids love electronics and my daughter Samantha was proof of it…

Old Guns New Generations?

At the age of 34, I don’t consider myself particularly young anymore, but to the best of my knowledge it does make me one of the younger contributors...

Colt 'Conversion' Sixguns

Colt Conversion revolvers have a confusing story, branching off in several directions. First off, what is a so-called Colt conversion? In common parlance...

Freedom Arms Model 97 .32...

Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz. Oh what a relief it is!” Anyone over the age of 40 will probably remember the catchy little tune sung by Speedy Alka Seltzer way...

Lipsey's Ruger Perfect...

Friend and fellow shootist Jason Cloessner of Lipsey’s, a major Ruger distributor, certainly understands the concept of the “Perfect Packin’ Pistol”...

Close Encounter Wheelguns

Hunting with a handgun can certainly spice up your outdoor experience. The variety of circumstances you may stumble onto in the field is always uncertain...

The “New” New .45

What did I mean about the “first time?” The .45 Colt’s first term of service was 1873 to 1892. The revolvers had 71/2" barrels and the issue loads as...

.44 Wadcutters

The .44 Russian was a very popular target shooting cartridge and around 1900 a man by the name of Himmelwright designed a better bullet for target shooting....

World War 1 Handguns

When Woodrow Wilson’s administration declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, the American military was woefully unprepared. Regarding handguns, American...

The Magical Model 12

I’ve always been enamored — is it okay to be enamored? — with the Model 12. If you’re not up to speed, it’s a K-Frame S&W with an aluminum alloy...

Single Actions For...

From 1836 through the Mexican-American War, the War Between the States, the great migration West and even up to the World War I era, the single-action...

Something Old, Something New

I dare say anyone who’s experienced the pleasure of popping primers has some sorta’ semblance of a rootin’, tootin’, shootin’ “cowboy” in...

Esthetics In Handguns

Esthetics — also correctly written as aesthetics — are words defined as “the laws and principles determining the beauty in nature, art, taste, etc.”...

The .41 Magnum

Sometimes things just don’t happen the way they should. The .38 Spl. arrived around the turn of the 20th century, and then 35 years later was lengthened...

Return Of The Combat Magnum

Bill Jordan, Marine combat veteran and Border Patrol Chief Inspector when he retired in 1965, was directly responsible for the Smith & Wesson .357 Combat...

Webley MKV1 .455

The Webley MKVI certainly fits the criteria British ordnance people evidently set for their service revolvers: big, ugly, underpowered and top break. I...

.45 Wadcutters Slow And...

The original .45 Colt bullet profile is known as a truncated cone or round nosed flat point (RNFP). It basically started in the early 1870s as a round-nosed...

Guns At Auction

So you have a little dough stashed away the old lady doesn’t know about, and might come in handy at an upcoming auction. Over the decades, the first...

A Close Look: Revolver Extras

Whenever I hear someone say, “Oh, revolvers? They’re dead …” I always think of the hundreds of letters I get from you wanting more about them. You...

Revolver Redo

Other than making them go bang a few times for fun, it dawned on me I had never actually targeted one of the old break-top revolvers. Their reputations run...

Throat-Choke Is No Joke

I love Ruger revolvers, especially those chambered in .45 Colt. Built tough and able to withstand pressures most other guns can’t, doesn’t mean...

Pleasant Shooting Loads

The .44 Magnum arrived in late 1955 with most examples not arriving in gun shops until 1956. At the time Elmer Keith said recoil wasn’t bad and wouldn’t...

Classic S&W N-Frames

One of our local gunshops, Boise Gun Company, had two 1950 Targets in the case one day. They came from the same collection, both had 61/2" barrels and S&W...

The Hower 12-Shot .357/.50

Last Summer I drove the two-hour drive from Oklahoma to Kansas to visit my independent 91-year-old dad. With him in tow we arrived at my aunt and uncle’s...

S&W’s Model 360 J-Frame...

Compared to many concealed carry guns in today’s market, Smith & Wesson’s Model 360 carries half as many rounds — 5 — and costs almost twice as...

Exclusive: Ruger GP100...

Those dastardly demons at Ruger’s R&D (Research & Development) are at it again. Just when we think we have any semblance of catching up with their latest...

Traditions 1873 WheelGun

That Sam Colt, he was quite a man. Deserving of: “God made man, but Sam Colt made them equal.” Colt’s Paterson tipped the scales in favor of the bearer.

Lipsey’s Liberates The...

Innovation is a wonderful thing, just so long as we don’t forget our past. Some think the newest released hellcat or horsed-up hotrod is the way to go,...

Tyler Gun Works = Fun...

An old barn sits in the northern panhandle of Texas, near the small town of Friona, the cheeseburger capital of the Lone Star state. Today, 18-wheelers and...

S&W’s Model 360 J-Frame...

Compared to many concealed carry guns in today’s market, Smith & Wesson’s Model 360 carries half as many rounds — 5 — and costs almost twice as...

Documenting Your Gun...

I began documenting my firearms collection for insurance reasons, but quickly realized it was not only important to document the monetary value of the guns...

Handguns What's New...

Just when you thought it’d all been done we discover nope, there’s more to come! Here’s just a few to tease, tempt and otherwise give you the...