SHOOTING IRON

THUMB BUSTIN' MUSINGS FROM THE DUKE

Handgun Milestones

Recently a fellow asked me when I became interested in guns. My reply was … I was born with it.

BBQ Colt

Recently on an Internet website a fellow asked me, “Do you have a barbeque Colt?” I replied, “Um, No, I don’t think so.”

.44 RUSSIAN, SPECIAL & MAGNUM

It amazes me how many shooters — young and old — talk about their .44 Specials or .44 Magnums without having a clue as to their ancestry.

A Colt Buntline Special Find

Upon entering the door of a recent Montana gun show, I thought, “My money is safe. There will be nothing in here that trips my trigger.”

ACCOUTERMENTS

My dictionary says “accouterments” are military accessories. I love the word because to me it seems like a combination of accumulate and collect,

Reunited

Back in 1973 a friend and I got it in our heads we should take a couple saddle horses and my trusty steed “Duke” as a pack horse and head south.

A Remington Resurfaces

Back in the first years of this century a fellow contacted me saying he was putting a replica of the Remington Model 1875 revolver into production and he...

Almost... A DQ Stop Turns Ugly

Last summer for the first time in my life I thought I might have to use a gun to defend myself.

Browning and FN’s ...

A little-known fact among modern handgunners is the Hi-Power was truly international in both manufacture and usage. FN had Hi-Powers in full production for...

How We Shoot:

The vast majority of handgun shooting competitions nowadays are geared to speed. That’s understandable. It’s fun to do and fun to watch. There’s...

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...

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...

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...

WWI Handguns

Being as how we’re around the centennial of America’s involvement in World War I, his Editorship Roy gave me the go ahead to cover some combat handguns...

The U.S. MODEL 1911 .45

When the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, the standard sidearm for the US Army, Navy and Marine Corps was the Model 1911 .45 Auto. The...

"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.”...

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.”

The Odd Couple

One perk of being a gun’riter is there’s a never-ending array of things to write about. While many choose to be on the “cutting edge,” I look...

Almost Right: The Enfield...

In regards to handguns, the British often don’t get things right. Well, they usually don’t get things right. Oh, heck, they almost never get things...

Little Bighorn Colt SAA's

His Editorship, Roy, emailed me concerning a forthcoming auction item he had seen advertised. It is listed as the only completely intact Colt SAA .45...

Go Fancy — Life Is Short

My dreams — good or bad — are vivid. Late in 2015 I had to undergo open heart surgery. Still under the effects of anesthesia a night or two after the...

The 3RD Gen. Colt Single...

Colt SAA’s of the 3rd Generation are great!” “Colt SAA’s of the 3rd Generation are Lousy.” It may be a conundrum, but both statements are true.

Gun-Guys Can Like Cats Too

A few issues back I did a column on dogs and many readers enjoyed it, sending in dozens of “their own stories” about their dogs. This one is about cats...

Is The .40 S&W Dead?

An industry rumor I heard recently left me a little distressed. The contention was the .40 S&W is effectively dead as a defensive handgun cartridge. The...