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TableofContentsNINETEENTHCENTURYPARKERBROTHERSVHGRADECOLTSINGLEACTIONARMYWINCHESTERMODEL1873WESTLEYRICHARDS&CO.BOXLOCKPURDEYSELF-OPENERMARLINGOLDENMODEL39AWINCHESTERMODEL94WINCHESTERMODEL1897SMITH&WESSONMODEL10SAVAGEMODEL99

EARLYTWENTIETHCENTURYLUGERP08BROWNINGAUTO-5COLTM1911A1WINCHESTERMODEL12WALTHERPPKMAUSERKARABINER98KURZM1GARANDWINCHESTERMODEL70

ITHACAMODEL37WALTHERP38

POST-WARMARLINMODEL336AK-47RUGERMARKIREMINGTONMODEL870RUGERSINGLE-SIXCOLTPYTHONSMITH&WESSONMODEL29RUGERBLACKHAWKWEATHERBYMARKVSAVAGEMODEL110COLTM16

1960sMOSSBERG500REMINGTONMODEL700REMINGTONMODEL1100RUGER10/22RUGERNO.1THOMPSON-CENTERCONTENDERBROWNINGBT-99PERAZZIMX8

1970s–1990sBROWNINGCITORI

CZ75SIGSAUERP220BERETTA680SERIESBARRETTM82A1DESERTEAGLEGLOCKG17KNIGHTMK-85KRIEGHOFFK-80BENELLISUPERBLACKEAGLEIIBERETTAAL391

PIntroduction

icking the fiftybest,most iconic firearms isno easy task.Therewere someobvious choices, like theWinchesterModel 1873 lever-action rifle and the

Mossberg500pump-actionshotgunaswellastheRugerMarkIsemiautomaticrimfire pistol—guns that have indelibly changed the way we hunt, shootcompetitively,anddefendourselves.Otherselectionsmaysendyou into fitsoffuryorhaveyousitbackincontentment.Includingfirearmsthateveryonecouldpurchaseandown—dependingonthethicknessofyourwallet,orlackthereof—wasimportant.Notallofthesegunsarefavoritesofmine,buttheymadethelistduetowhattheirdesignbroughttotheshootingcommunityandtheirinfluenceon future firearm designs. Pop culture has had an influence on guns, thoughnotoriety is not a substitute for performance. Production runs are a goodindicator of a firearm’s popularity and durability, and I figured that into myhighlyunscientificequations.Withnoapologies,herearefiftygunsthatchangedtheworld.

NINETEENTHCENTURY

ParkerBrothersVHGrade

TheOldReliableProduced:1866–1934(Remington1934–1942)TheParkerbrothers—Wilbur,Dexter,andCharles—werenotthatjazzedabouttheirdad’searlymanufacturingbusiness.Theirfather,CharlesParker,operatedasmall shop that manufactured a variety of goods such as coffee mills,doorknockers, waffle irons, door hinges, and numerous other items. Thebrothersweremore interested inwhatdad startedproducing lateron.CharlesParkerwasacraftybusinessmanandpartneredwithanumberofotherinvestors.At thebeginningof theCivilWarParkerandhispartnerswoncontracts fromtheUnionArmytoproducethousandsofrifles.AfterthewarParkerbecamethesole owner of the Meriden Manufacturing Company and the first shotgunsproducedwiththeParkernamewererollmarked“MadebytheMeridenMan’fCo. forCharles Parker” and are known as theT-latch or back-action guns, aswellasDollarGradeguns.AtthetimeParkerdidnothaveagradingsysteminplace,solatercollectorsratedthegunsonhowmanydollarsacustomerhadtospend(whichdeterminedthelevelofembellishments).Bythetimehissonswereworking with him, Parker shotguns had established a name for quality,handcrafted workmanufactured inMeriden, Connecticut. Czars, movie stars,leaders in industry, United States presidents, and generals owned Parkershotguns.Thegildedageofside-by-sideshotgunswasfromabout1888throughthe1930s,andParkershotgunsquicklymadeanameforthemselvesamongthenumerous American-made side-by-sides of the time. Gun manufacturingflourished in the Connecticut River Valley, similar to the role Silicon Valleyplayedincomputerandsoftwaredevelopment.Parkers,andallgunsofthisera,werehand-built frommachinedparts.Buyerscouldorderagunmade to theirspecifications—gauge,barrel lengths, triggers, frame size,barrel rib,wood, andengraving were only limited by a customer’s budget. Duck hunters totrapshooterstothoseuplandhunterschasinggrouseorcoveysofquails,theyallhadaParkermadetoorder.TothisdayParkersarecovetedbycollectors;manyarenotjustkeptingunsafesbutarerefurbishedandusedforclayshootingandhunting.

Side-by-sideshotgunsmayseemasrelevantinthetwenty-firstcenturyasbuggywhips, but these firearms played an important role in our western expansionafter theCivilWar aswell aswith hunters and sportsmen up until the 1930s.Backthentheside-by-sideshotgunwashumbleandcouldbehadforasong—oraking’sransom.Theside-by-sidewasinnearlyeverywagonhaulingwestward,and it was used to collectmeat for the pot and protect the homestead.Otherside-by-side manufacturers in Connecticut and elsewhere in the north werechurningoutshotguns,butnonewouldbeasmythicalasParker.Associetyhadmore free time and industry churned, men from places like New York CitywouldboardtrainsheadingnorthtoConnecticut,RhodeIsland,andelsewhereinNewEnglandoroutonLongIslandfora little“gunning.”Withthemwasaleather-cased shotgun, andmany times the gunwas a Parker. The Parkerwasnicknamed“TheOldReliable.”

The epitome of Parker craftsmanshipwas the Invincible. According to legend(manycollectors speakofParkers in reverent, almostmythical tones), the firstInvinciblewasmanufactured in 1923 and cost $1,250back then.This rare 16-gaugegunwas inaprivatecollectionandrarelyphotographed,but ithassincebeen put on display at the National Rifle Association (NRA) museum. TheInvinciblehasexquisiteengravingwithgoldinlaysofgamebirdsonthesideandbottomofthereceiver.Thewoodislavishlycheckered.Twoothersarebelievedtoexisttoday.AsostentatiousastheInvincibleis, themajorityofParkerswerelessgarish.ForthefiftyyearstheParkerBrothersCompanywasinbusiness,theyproducedabout243,000shotgunsintotal.ThemostwidelyproducedParkerwastheVHgrade,which featureda top latch.Parkerswent throughseveraldesignchangesovertheyears.TheVHwasintroducedwithVulcansteelbarrels,somewoodcheckering,anda little engravingon the frame.All themetalwork, savethebarrels,wascase-hardened.Latergunshaveahardrubberbuttplatemoldedwithadog’shead.

Specifications

GAUGE:10,12,16,20,28,.410

BARRELLENGTH:26inchesto32inches

WEIGHT:6.9poundsto8.5pounds

STOCK:Selectcheckeredwalnut;straight,half-,orfull-pistolgripSIGHTS:Bead

ACTION:Boxlock,break-action

FINISH:Case-hardenedframe/bluedbarrel

CAPACITY:2

TheParkerReproductionInasimilarwaythatColtSAArevolversandWinchester1873rifleshavebeenreproduced, the Parker was revived in the 1980s. By this time all qualityAmerican side-by-side shotgun makers—A.H. Fox, L.C. Smith, Parker,Winchester—werelongoutofbusiness,buttherewasstilladesireforahighquality side-by-side shotgun among collectors and shooters. The Parkerseemed the natural choice to reproduce as the most aristocratic of theAmericanbreed.The“repro”ParkersweremadeinJapanbyOlinKodenshaandare fineexamplesof thegunmaker’sart.DHE,B,andA-1grademodelswere made, many with two-barrel sets. Today, Connecticut ShotgunManufacturingCompanyinNewBritain,Connecticut,makesareproductionoftheParker,theA.H.Fox,andtheWinchesterModel21andisthelastofthegreatAmericanside-by-sideshotgunmanufacturers.

RemingtonArmsCompanyandConnecticutShotgunManufacturingCompanybuildareproductionofaParkerAAHE28-gaugewithavarietyofoptionsthatstartsat$49,000.

AnadvertisementfromtheturnofthenineteenthcenturytoutingtheParkertakingthefirstandsecondprizesattheGrandAmericancompetition.

OtherNotableAmericanDoublesWanttorufflefeathers?ThenleaveoutoneofthefineAmericandoublesfroma list of iconic guns.Therewas theParker, but therewas also theA.H.Fox,which was manufactured from 1903–1946. Today Connecticut ShotgunManufacturing Co. in New Britain, Connecticut, makes a high-grade Foxshotgun. Next on the punch list is the LeFever. These were expensive evenbefore they became collectible. The Daniel LeFever patented the first truehammerless shotgun in 1883. The L.C. Smith had the unique distinction ofbeingtheonlyAmericansidelock.Built from1890–1945thegunsaresoughtafterbycollectors.Startingin1945,whenMarlintookovermanufacturing,theSmith lost a bit of appeal.Winchester’sModel 21 is legendary for its strongactionandthoughitdoesnothavethestoriedtraditionoftheParkers,Foxes,and Smiths, shooters have loved them since 1931 through the end ofproduction in 1960. Ruger’sGold Label was announced in 2002withmuchfanfare that theAmericandoublewasback. ItwasuntilRuger figured itwastoodarncostlytobuildandnixeditfromtheircatalog.

The DE grade A.H. Fox is currently manufactured by Connecticut ShotgunManufacturing Co. It isknownforitsfineworkmanshipandexcellentshootingqualities.

ColtSingleActionArmy

ThePeacemakerProduced:1873–1941(Gen1),1956–1974(Gen2),1976–present(Gen3)The gunfight at theO.K.Corral never actually occurred at theOldKindersleyCorralinTombstone,ArizonaTerritory.ItreallyhappenedoffFremontStreetinanalley adjacent to anopen lot that abutted the rearof the corral.Hollywoodanddimenovelswouldhaveusbelievetherewasameetingathighnoon;whitehat heroes against blackhat villains.The core of the gunfightwas keeping thepeace,and the“Peacemaker”wasoneof thecommonnamesused for theColtModelP.

Thefightwasbetweentwogroupsofmenwhodetestedeachother.Ononesideweretheoutlawsandontheotherthelawmen.Asyearspassedfactssurroundingthegunfighthave takenonasubjectivepatina.The lawmenwereofcourse theEarpbrothers—Virgil,Wyatt,andMorgan—whomadealivingrunningsaloonsandgaming tablesamongotherbusinessendeavors.Theywerealso lawmen intownsthatsprungupinthewestthatarebestdescribedasinbetweentheedgeofcivilizationandpurewilderness.DocHollidaywaswiththeEarpsthatday,andHolliday was known more as a gambler than a dentist. The outlaws werecowboys who smuggled cattle and stole horses—rustlers by any other name.TheirnameswereBillyClantonandbrothersTomandFrankMcLaury.Threatsweremade and therewere pistolwhippings themorning of the gunfight. Thecowboyswere carrying firearms, but a city ordinance prohibited possession ofweapons in town. Virgil Earp, a Deputy US Marshal, decided to disarm thecowboys to keep the peace.When the two groupsmet at about 3:00 p.m. onWednesday,October26,1881, two shotswere fired.Noone reallyknowswhofiredfirst.Inthirtysecondsitwasover.BillyClantonandtheMcLaurybrotherswerekilled.VirgilandMorganEarpwerewounded.PriedfromBilly’sstillwarmdead hand was a Colt Single Action Army (SAA). Frank McLaury carried asimilarColt.AColt SAAowned byWyattwas auctioned in 2014 and fetched$225,000.ItisnotknownifthisColtwasusedintheinfamousgunfight.Today

thegunfightisreplayedeveryday;showtimesareheldatnoon,2,and3:30p.m.

This legendary gunfight, like theColt SAA, is part of theAmerican fabric—asAmericanasbaseball,cannedbeer,pickuptrucks,andapplepie.DeepdownallAmericans have a bit of cowboy or cowgirl in them. This is whatmakes thisrevolver so significant today though it was introduced in the late nineteenthcentury.Whendebuteditwasinnovative,andtodayitisaclassic.

SamuelColtwas long in the cemeterywhen the 1873 first appeared.Colt, theman, had died in 1862. He had seen the tremendous success of his Walkerrevolverevolveintothesuccessof1852Navyrevolverandothers.Coltwastheconsummate marketer and was quick to put a Colt revolver in the hands ofpeoplewhoheldswayoverthepublic’sperceptionaswellasgovernmentcoffers;everyone fromsultans to sheriffs receivedgiftsof revolvers fromColt. Itwasawell-knownbrandandstillranksasoneofthemorerecognizablebrandsintheworld.

In the late 1800s the cutting edge high-tech weapon development was themetalliccartridge.Smith&Wessonheld therights toproducerevolverswithaboredthroughcylinderwhichwerecapableofacceptingmetalliccartridges.ThepatentwasinthenameofRollinWhite.Colt,thecompany,didnotwanttopayroyaltiestotheircompetitor,sotheymodifiedoldpercussionrevolverdesignstoaccept metallic cartridges and called these conversion revolvers. While Coltwaited for the patent to expire—theUnited States government actually deniedRollin an extension of his patent—their engineers who had created theconversionrevolvers—WilliamMasonandCharlesRichards,workedonatotallynew revolver design with the endgame being a United States governmentcontract.Theservicerevolvertrialsof1872heldbythemilitaryshowedthenewColt design a rugged and reliable revolver and the SingleActionArmy (SAA)wasadoptedbytheUnitedStatesgovernmentandputintoservicein1873.

TheColtSAApurchasedbythegovernmentfeatureda7.5-inchbarrelandwaschamberedin.45LongColt(LC)or.45Colt,whichwasanewroundtogowiththenewrevolver.Itwasaverypotentcartridgeatthetimeandhelpedestablishthe.45caliberasAmerica’sfavoritepistolcartridge.TheSAA,asitsnamestates,is single-action. The hammer must be thumbed back and cocked to fire therevolver.Thecylinderholdssixroundsand is loadedviaa loadinggateon therightsideofthepistol.TheSAAwasfinishedwithabluedbarrel,cylinder,and

grip frame.The framewas case-hardened,whichgave it a frothymixof color.The Governmentmodel, also called the Cavalrymodel, had a smooth walnutgrip.TrueGovernmentmodelshavethecartoucheofgovernmentinspectors;theinitials of David F. Clark, OrvilleWood Ainsworth, or Henry Nettleton werestampedinthewoodgripontheleftside.

CollectorscaninstantlydeterminethegenerationofaColtSAA.Theymayevenhotly debate the actual number of Colt SAA generations, but it is generallyagreed there are three. FirstGenColtsweremade from1873–1941 andhad ascrew in the front of the frame to hold the cylinder or base pin in place. Thescrewcouldget lostandthreadscould loosen.Latergenerationsusedaspring-loadedbasepinscrewthatispressedtoremovethebasepin.Acylinderorbasepinbushingeasedoperationwithblackpowderloads.Original.45LCcartridgeswere loadedwith blackpowder,which leaves a residue that can quickly bind acylinderandmaketheweaponunusable.Thecylinderisbeveledatthefronttoaidinholstering.Sightsarefixed.Therearconsistsofagroovemilledinthetopoftheframeandthefrontisasquared-offroundedblade.TherearsightisaV-shapedgroove.SomeinexpensivecopiesofColtSAAsdonotshoottopointofaim,thusrequiringthefrontsighttobebentorfileddown.FlatspringsareusedthroughouttheSAA.BillRugerinthe1950sreengineeredtheSAAusingacastframeandcoilspringsandcalledittheBlackhawk.Coilspringshaveafarlonger,ifnotinfinite,lifecomparedwiththeflatsprings.

TheSAAisslowto loadandunload,becauseaseachcartridge is loadedintoachamber,thecylinderrotatesandloadingcontinues.Tounloadisjustastedious,as each empty cartridge case needs to be ejected separately. To load it thehammerispulledbacktohalfcock,whichallowstheoperatortoswingopentheloadinggateandrotatethecylinder.TheSAAhasanejectorrodattachedtotherightsideofthebarreltohelpejectstickycasesespeciallyafterextendedfirewithblackpowdercartridges.TheS&WModel3Schofield,adirectcompetitortotheSAAatthetime,isabreak-toprevolverthatquicklyunloadsemptycasesinonestep.ItwasalsoquickertoreloadthantheColt,butintheendtheSchofieldfiredalesspowerfulroundandwasmoredelicatethantheSAA.

TheColtSAAwasusedduringtheAmericanIndianWarsonbothsides;NativeAmericans often picked up revolvers and other weapons from fallen soldiers.Colt’s major competitor at the time was Smith & Wesson. The Governmentpurchased some Schofields and used both weapons. The Colt was soon the

preferredweaponovertheS&W.TheColtSAAservedwellinbattlebutby1893theColtSAAwasreplacedbyanewerColt,the.38-caliberColtM1892DoubleAction Army Revolver with swing-out cylinder and double-action and single-action trigger. It was very similar to modern day revolvers. On paper it wascutting edge weaponry at the time, but in use the power from the .38 LCcartridge was anemic. During the three-month-long Spanish–American War,TeddyRooseveltpersonallyrequestedthatColtSAAsbetakenoutofmothballsforhisRoughRiders.Between1895and1906theUnitedStatesgovernmenthadSpringfieldArmoryinMassachusettsandtheColtfactoryinConnecticutreworkover 16,000 Colt SAA Cavalry revolvers. The letter from the US OrdnanceDepartment stated: “It is intended to shorten the barrels of all the .45-caliberColt’srevolversonhandtoalengthof5.5inches[Cavalrymodelshad7-1/2-inchbarrels] as provided for the 250 revolvers which you have been directed toprepare and issue to the batteries of light artillery. This alteration for the newrevolvers(caliber.45)onhandcan,itisthought,bedoneattheArmory,whilstthose requiring renovation may be altered at the least expense to theGovernment by theColt’sArmsCompany at the same timewith thework ofrenovationtobedoneunderthecontractofAug.20,1895,withthatcompany.”

This is how the reworked SAAs became known as Artillery models as therefurbishedgunswere tobe issued to artillery troops. Someof theseoldSAAshadseenabouttwentyyearsofhardserviceduringtheIndianWarswhileotherswere in storage and had never been used. The US Ordnance Departmentspecified that Colt rework the used guns, and the guns in storage would bereworked by Springfield Armory. Original Artillery models, specifically thosereworkedbySpringfieldArmoryhavemismatchedserialnumbersasSpringfielddisassembledthegunsandgroupedsimilarpartstogether.Noeffortwasmadetokeep serial numbered parts together and the government saved on the costbecauseofthispractice.

Later in 1899 during the Philippine–AmericanWar, the SAAs saw additionalservice. Troops needed firepower to deal with Moro tribesmen. The Morosproved to be vicious fighters wielding spears and bolo knives who workedthemselvesuptosuchfervorthattroopsfoundthestoppingpowerofthe.45LCwas the only solution in hand-to-hand combat.After this secondwar and therepeated experience of the shortcomings of .38 LC, the US governmentembarkedonfindinganewcaliber.The.45ACPand1911pistolwerenottoofar

inthenearfuture.By1902theColtSAAwasfinallyretired,butthatisnottosaythe Colt SAA has not seen other wars. General George S. Patton carried anengraved and ivory handle Colt SAA during World War II in the EuropeanTheater.

ForthecivilianmarketColtofferedtheSAAinvariousbarrellengths:4.75,5.5,and7.5inchesweremostcommon.Shorter-barreledmodelswereknownastheSheriff’sModel,Storekeeper,orBanker’sSpecial.

PerhapsthemostfamousandoddestvariantoftheColtSAAistheBuntline,astandardSAArevolverwitha12-inchbarrel(orlonger).Asthetaleaboutwhoinventedandwhoused theBuntlinehasgrowngranderandmoreembellishedover the years, decades, and centuries, so, too, has the length of the revolver’sbarrel grown. Some Buntlines have barrels 16 or 18 inches in length. TheBuntlineisusuallyassociatedwithWyattEarpduetoafictionalizedbiographyofEarp written in 1931 by Stuart Lake and titledWyatt Earp: FrontierMarshal.Lake describes Earp using a long-barreled Buntline, but there is no directevidencetosupportthatEarpeverusedorevenownedaBuntlinerevolver.Whatis known or alleged is that a late nineteenth century dime novelist with thepseudonymofNedBuntlinehadtherevolversspecificallymadeandpresentedtofamous lawmen at the time, andEarp is alleged to have received one of theselong-barreledrevolvers.NedBuntlinewasactuallythepennameofEdwardZaneCarrollJudson,whowrotefourdimenovels,allabouttheexploitsofBuffaloBill.

The Colt Flattop Target model featured an adjustable rear sight and aninterchangeablefrontsightblade.Thetopstrapoftheframewasflat,hencethename Flattop. Another variant also used for target shooting was the Bisley,namedafterafamoustargetrangeinBisley,England.TheBisleyisuniqueinthatithadalong,bentgripanddifferenthammerandtrigger,makingitbettersuitedforthetargetshootingstyleofthelatenineteenthcentury.TheColtFrontierSix-Shootermodel(thecivilianvariantoftheMilitarySAA)waschamberedin.44-40WCF, the same caliberWinchester debuted in theModel 1873 lever-actionrifle.Theroundprovedsopopularwithshootersandhunters,Coltwasforcedtochamber theirSAAintheround.Cowboysof theday likedtheconvenienceofusingthesamecartridgeintheirrifleandrevolver.TodaytheyareallgenericallycalledSAAs.

Coltpuristsandcollectorsknowwhichgenerationhadaroundedorasquared

triggerguardaswellasthenumerousothercharacteristicsthatseparatedifferentgenerations.DuringWorldWarIIColtceasedproductionof theSAAtobuildotherweaponsorderedbythegovernment,namelytheColt1911semiautomaticpistol.Productionresumed in1956ushering in theSecondGenColtSAAs. Inthe1950swesternswereaTVshowstaple—HaveGun–WillTravel,Gunsmoke,The Big Valley,Bonanza,BretMaverick, and a herd of others. It was a goodopportunity to sell SAA revolvers, and companies like Great Western ArmsCompany, which produced the first SAA clones from 1954–1964, and Sturm,RugerandCompany,whichbeganmanufacturingSAAs in .22rimfire in1953.SAAs fromGermanyandBelgiumwerealsoproduced,but likeGreatWesternArms, they all rode off into the sunset. Today Colt and Ruger in the UnitedStates andUberti and Pietta in Italy still produce SAA revolvers. The Italiansprobably have producedmore SAAs thanColt ever did.DuringColt’s SecondGeneration span theNewFrontierwasoffered;—aSAAwith a fully adjustablerear sight and ramp front sight.Ruger’sBlackhawkhad similar sightson theirrevolvers,andmanyshooterslikedtheadjustablesights.Colt’sThirdGenbeganin1976andcontinues to thisday.As thegenerationsevolvedColtmadeslightmodifications to the SAA design and in ThirdGen guns changes—like a newcylinder bushing—were made to ease manufacturing and make it more costeffective. The cylinder bushingwas subsequently changed back to the originalstyle.

WyattEarplaterinlifeandwellintothetwentiethcenturystillcarriedaColtSAA.

PredecessorstotheSAAwereColtconversionrevolvers;thisisareproductionfromUbertiofaColt1872Army.

OldprintadvertisementfortheColtFrontierSix-Shooter,retailprice$34.00.

ThisColtwas factory-engraved byCunoHelfricht and shipped toAlbuquerque,NM, in 1893.Courtesy

Hmaag.

TheBisleyusedthesamestyleactionastheSAAbutfeaturedadifferentgripangle.

The SAA is a natural pointer. The balance is near perfect. No wonder trickshooters, exhibitionists, and fast draw shooters like the late BobMunden canmaketheSAAsingandspinaroundtheirtriggerfingers.EvenB-moviewesternextrasmakeitlookeasytousetheSAA.ThumbbackthehammerandtheColtSAAhasfourdistinctclicks.Musictosomeears.

ThreemodernColtsbuiltbyColtinHartford,Connecticut.

PhotographsofcowboysfromtheOldWestproudlyshowingofftheirColthardware.

TheColtSAAisoneofthemostrecognizablerevolversintheworld.OnoneendofthespectrumtheSAAisacowboy’stool.ItishardtofindapristineexampleofanearlyFirstGenforthesimplefacttheserevolverswereuseddayinanddayout. On the other end of the spectrum, the SAA is a blank canvas for theengraver.Emigrants fromEuropewhoworked in theColt factory likeGustaveYoung,LouisDanielNimschke,CunoHelfricht,andotherscreatedstunningandbeautifulworksofartoutoftheColts.CowboyActionShootinginrecentyearshas introduced the Colt SAA to many new shooters who dress up in periodcostumeandplugawayatsteelandcardboardtargetdesperadoes.

LeaveanEmptyChamberSincetheSAAdoesnothaveabuilt-insafety,thehammershouldalwaysrestonanemptychamber.Thatway,iftherevolverisaccidentallydroppeditwillnotdischarge.ToloadaColtSAA(andItalianknock-offs),loadonecartridge,skipachamber,andloadtherestofthechambers.Thisbest loadingpracticeensuresthehammerrestsonanemptychamber.Italsomeansthesix-shooterisreallyafive-shooter.

Loadone,skipone,thenfilltheremainingchambers.Thisallowsausertorestthehammeronanemptychamberforsafety.

SpaghettiColtsSpaghettiWesternsareWesternmovieslikeTheGood,TheBad,andTheUgly,A Fistful of Dollars, and others. Italian director Sergio Leone directedAmericanactorsonaset inSpain.Italianfirearmsmanufacturers likeUbertiandPietta filled thedemand for revolvers like theColt SAAs fordecadesbyproducinglowcost,good-qualitycopies.These“SpaghettiColts”lookandfeelveryclosetooriginalColts.Nonmaleevenif itdoesnothavearampantcoltonthesidenorisitrollmarkedHartford,Connecticut.

Specifications

CALIBER:.32-20WCF,.38-40WCF,.38ShortColt,.38LongColt,.38ColtSpecial,.38S&WSpecial,.357Magnum,.41LongColt,.44Russian,.44S&WSpecial,.44-40WCF,.45LongColt(over30differentcalibersintotal)BARRELLENGTH:4.75,5.5,and7.5inches(mostcommon)

OALENGTH:10.25inches(4.75-inchbarrel)

WEIGHT:37ounces(4.75-inchbarrel)

STOCK:Smoothwoodorcheckeredrubber

SIGHTS:Fixed,grooverear/bladefront

ACTION:Single-action

FINISH:Case-hardenedframe/bluebarrel,grip,andcylinderornickelCAPACITY:6

TheDuke’sFinalSix-ShooterIn JohnWayne’s finalmovie,TheShootist, he used a pair ofGreatWesternArmsCo.elaboratelyengravedSAAswithivorygrips.TheGreatWesternwasthefirstAmerican-madeSAAknock-off.WhenRugerstartedtoproducetheBlackhawkSAA,theyliterallyputGreatWesternoutofbusiness.

GreatWesternmanufacturedareproductionoftheColtSAAin1954;numerousexampleswereusedinTVandfilms.

JohnWayneusedaGreatWesternrevolverinhislastmovie,TheShootist.

WinchesterModel1873

TheGunThatWontheWestProduced:1873–1919,2013–Present(Winchester);1991–Present(reproductions)ThestoryoftheWinchester1873riflereallybeganin1860withtheHenry,ariflethatprovidedextremefirepoweratatimewhensingle-shotmuzzle-loadingrifleswerecommon.TheHenryalsoutilizedanewdevelopmentinammunition,themetallic cartridge case. Benjamin Tyler Henry designed the rifle bearing hisname.Itwasabreechloading,repeatingriflethatusedamanuallyoperatedlevertochamberandeject.44rimfirecartridges.ThoughotherrepeatingriflesliketheSpencerRepeaterwere in use, theHenry changed theway theAmericanCivilWar was fought. Most soldiers on either side carried smooth bore, muzzle-loadingmusketsthathadaneffectiverangeofabout100yardsandwereslowtoreload.Thelever-actionHenrywasaccurateduetoarifledbarrel,andithadfastfollow-up shots due to the lever-action mechanism. The Henry wasmanufacturedwithabrassframe,althoughsomeweremadefromiron,anda24-inch barrel. The Union Army purchased the brass-framed Henry rifles andissuedthemtocavalrytroopsmakingthetroopsafastmovingforcewithplentyoffirepower.ConfederatetroopscametocalltheHenry“thatdamnYankeerifleyouloadonSundayandshootallweek.”Withamagazinecapacityof16roundsitwasaformidablepieceofweaponry.

Oliver Winchester was a major investor in the New Haven Arms Company,where the Henry was built, and when the company came upon hard times,Winchester, the consummate businessman, snapped up the company andrenamed itWinchesterRepeatingArms.WinchesterhadonstaffNelsonKing,whodesignedaside-loadinggateeliminatingoneoftheHenryrifle’sweakspots,themagazinetubeandloadingsystem.TheHenry is loadedviaabarrelsleeve.First a spring-loaded followerunder the rifle is compressed toward themuzzleand the barrel sleeve is rotated open to expose the magazine tube wherecartridges aredropped inbase first. Spring tensionpushes the rounds into thereceiver.Thesystemisawkwardto loadanddelicateas themagazine tubeand

barrelsleevecouldbecomedentedandrendertherifleuseless.OliverWinchesterand Nelson King had other plans and that plan took the form of the firstWinchester rifle—the Model 1866, the predecessor of the Winchester Model1873.TheWinchesterModel1866wascommonlyreferredtoasa“YellowBoy”asitusedabrassframesimilartotheHenryrifle.Italsosharedthesamecaliber,.44 rimfire.King added a forend on the new rifle and sealed off themagazinetube.

Firearm and ammunition development at the time in 1873 was goinggangbusters.Colthaddebuted theSingleActionArmyrevolver in .45Colt formilitaryusein1873.TheColtwasawell-built,ruggedrevolverchamberedinanew centerfire cartridge—.45 Long Colt—that at the time was proprietary toColt.Winchester on the other hand debuted theModel 1873 rifle and a newcartridge: the .44-40WinchesterandAmerican shooterswerechanged forever.TheModel1873wasanewlever-actiondesign,muchstronger—thereceiverwasmanufactured from steel rather than brass—and it was chambered in a newcaliber, too, the .44WCF (WinchesterCenterfire),more commonly known asthe .44-40. The round used a .44 caliber bullet, the “.44” part of the cartridgename,and40grainsofblackpowder,the“-40”designationinthename.IfthereeverwasalegendaryrifletheWinchester1873isthatrifle.Thepopularityoftherifleandthecaliberwereunmatchedbyanyotherfirearmmakeratthetime.InfactColtwasforcedtochambertheirSAArevolverin.44-40duetothecaliber’spopularity.Thecivilianmodelof theSSA,calledtheColtFrontierSix-Shooter,wasofferedin.44-40becauseciviliancustomersdemandedarevolverinacaliberthatmatchedtheirWinchester1873.CompetingriflemanufacturerslikeMarlinandWhitneyalsochamberedtheirriflesinthenewcartridge.

Cowboyslikedtheconvenienceofhavingarifleandrevolverchamberedinthesamecalibersince itmeanthavingtobuyonlyonetypeofammunition.Therewasadearthofconveniencestoresintheoldwestandone-roomgeneralstores—thedepartment storesof theday—were fewand farbetween.Thushaving arifle andpistol share the sameammomade sense.Outlaws,NativeAmericans,lawmen,hunters,andsettlersallusedtheModel1873andthe.44-40cartridgeasdid themilitary.This is the rifle thatcoined the saying“Thegun thatwon thewest.” The caliber/rifle combination offered good accuracy and power to killgame the size of whitetail deer and mule deer efficiently. Frank Barnes inCartridgesoftheWorldsurmisesthe.44-40cartridgehaskilledmoregame—and

people—thananyothercartridge.

TheWinchesterfactoryinNewHaven,Connecticut,manufacturedover720,000Model1873repeatingriflesbetween1873and1919.Originallyitwaschamberedonly in .44-40, then in .38-40 and .32-20 and .22 rimfire. Even though newerlever-actionriflesweredevelopedandsold(forexample,theModel1876,Model1892, andModel 1894), theModel 1873was extremely popular and producedwell intothetwentiethcentury.ModernreplicasmadeinItalyofstrongersteelallow the ’73 to now be chambered in .38 Special/.357Magnum and .45Colt.ItalianfirearmsmanufacturerslikeUbertihavebeenmanufacturingModel1873clonessincethe1990s.Companies likeCimarron,EMFCompany,NavyArms,and Taylor’s & Co. have been importing reproduction rifles to fill moderncowboy needs. These newer reproductions might not have “New Haven,Connecticut” roll marked on the barrel but they re-create the flavor of thebygoneera.Withcrescentsteelbuttplates,bluedorfrothycase-hardenedcolors,modern1873sarebeautifulrifles—andlifeistooshorttoshootanuglyrifle.Justlikeback in thedaywhenWinchesterwasmanufacturingrifles inNewHaven,Connecticut, amultitude of customoptions are available like checkeredwoodpistol grip stocks, and octagon or round barrels.Originals were built in threetypes:carbines,rifles,andmuskets.Someofthedeluxemodelsarehighlyvaluedbycollectors.

With a lot of shooters channeling their inner cowboy the 1873 has seenresurgence, not that it ever faded away.Westernmovies and TV shows havefostered the cowboy in all of us with Cowboy Action Shooting taking it to awholeotherlevelwithguysandgalsdressingthepartofoldwestcharactersandcompeting in shooting competitions where reproduction Winchester rifles,among other types of reproductions, are used to shoot at cardboard and steeldesperadoes.

Specifications

CALIBER:.22Rimfire,.32-20WCF,.38-40WCF,44-40WCF(originals);.38Special/.357Magnum,.45LongColt(modernreproductions)BARRELLENGTH:14,15,16,20,24,and30inches

OALENGTH:49.3inches(30-inchbarrel)

WEIGHT:9.5pounds(30-inchbarrel)

STOCK:Smoothoil-finishedwood(standard)

SIGHTS:Adj.notchrear/fixedpostfront

ACTION:Lever-action

FINISH:Case-hardenedframe/bluebarrel

CAPACITY:9,10,13,or15(dependingonbarrellengthandcaliber)

Since2010,Winchester isagainofferingtheModel1873inavarietyofconfigurations likethisshortriflewitha20-inchroundbarrel.

Just like back in the day,Uberti offers aModel 1866 “YellowBoy” rifle,whichwas the precursor to theModel1873.

Henry Repeating Arms in Bayonne, NJ, manufactures an Original Henry rifle in deluxe engraved andstandardversion.

Thisoldprintshowsacross-sectionoftheModel1873.

TheseTexasRangersshowofftheirWinchesterModel1873riflescircamid-1880s.

AcowboyactionshootingcompetitorputsaModel1873throughitspaces;notetheemptycasesintheair.CourtesySASS.

“OneofOneThousand”In1875WinchesterofferedaspecialrunofriflescalledModel1873“Oneof

One Thousand.” These rifles were finely crafted with deluxe walnut stocks,bluing, and case-hardening.At the time the rifle cost about $100. Today anoriginal “One of One Thousand” depending on the condition will fetchanywherefrom$75,000to$500,000.Only136weremanufactured.

HollywoodGlitz,WinchesterSizzleThe1950blackandwhitemovieWinchester’73starredJimmyStewartintheleadrolewithShellyWinters,DanDuryea,andStephenMcNallysupporting.The story is aboutaprizedWinchesterModel1873rifle thatpasses throughthe hands of various owners. TheWriters Guild of America nominated thefilmforBestWrittenAmericanWestern.

In 1950 Universal Studios released Winchester ’73 starring Jimmy Stewart and a prized Winchester

Model1873.

Super-SizedModel1873In 1876Winchester debuted theModel 1876, also known as theCentennialModel, since it came out during our country’s Centennial celebration.Chambered in what was then a high power rifle cartridge, the .45-75Winchester, the cartridge had similar ballistics as the .45-70 Governmentcartridge.TheModel 1876 used a longer andheavier frame than theModel1873andwaspopularwithhunters, includingTeddyRoosevelt,whohuntedwith a custom Model 1876 that was elaborately engraved. Other big-borecalibers theWinchester was chambered in included the .40-60Winchester,.45-65Winchester,and.50-95Express.

UbertimakesareproductionoftheModel1876witha28-inchbarrelthatweighs10pounds.

WhenTeddyRooseveltplayedcowboyheusedacustomModel1876;thatknifetuckedinhisbeltwas

fromTiffany&Co.

WestleyRichards&Co.Boxlock

BoxlockfromBirminghamProduced:1875–PresentWestleyRichards&Co.hasbeenmakinguniqueandespeciallygoodshotgunsandriflesforovertwohundredyears,butin1875twooftheirgunsmiths,Ansonand Deeley, created a simple yet elegant lock mechanism for a hammerlessaction.Thehammersareactuallyconcealedinsidetheactionmakingthedoubleshotgunorriflestreamlined.At the timeof itscreation,externalhammergunswerealltherageandthisnewtypeofactionshooktheoldschoolgunmakersofEngland.

Thenewactionusedthe top lever toopentheaction,andthat in turnallowedthebarrelsoftheguntopivotdownthuscockingtheshotgun.Noneedtothumbbacktheexternalhammers,whichwasthecommonmechanismatthetime.Thisnew action required fewer parts, was simpler to manufacture, and was themomentthedouble-barrelshotguntransitionedintoamoderngun.

CurrentmanufactureofaWestleyRichardsdoublerifleusingaboxlockaction.CourtesyWestleyRichards&Co.

WestleyRichardsHeronshaw12-gaugeboxlockmadearound1938.CourtesyWestleyRichards&Co.

As a custom gunmaker, Westley Richards & Co.’s list of custom options isextensive.Therefore,Ihavenotprovidedanextensivespecificationssectionforthisparticularfirearm.

Cross-sectiondrawingoftheboxlockaction.

ClassicAnsonandDeeleyboxlockinaWestleyRichards&Co.manufacturedgun.

PurdeySelf-Opener

BestforaReasonProduced:1879–PresentThe epitome of British side-by-side shotguns is perhaps best represented byJamesPurdey& Sons of London.All guns are custom-made and cost a king’sransom,butthemarriageofwoodandsteelistrulymagnificentandresultsinawork of functioning art. The term “Best Gun” is used to describe a Purdeydouble-barrel shotgun of the finest quality. A Purdey will fit its owner like afinelytailoredsuit.ThemomentousbreakthroughatPurdeycamewhenoneoftheiremployees,FrederickBeesley,inventedtheself-openingactionsystem.Theself-openerusestheresidualenergyofthemainspringtoopenthegunandejectthespentshell.Purdeyshotgunsanddoublerifleshavebeenbuiltonthisactioneversince.

AdrawingoftheBeesleyactionshowstheinventivewaythespringsopentheaction.

Sideplatesfromarecentlymanufactureddoublerifleshowelaborateengravingandthefinestworkmanship.

MarlinGoldenModel39A

OldestandLongestContinuouslyProducedRimfireRifleProduced:1891–PresentBuilt from forged steel and sculpted fromAmerican ground blackwalnut, theMarlin Golden Model 39A is the latest variation of one of the oldest andcontinuously produced rimfire rifles in United States history. This rifle isrenownedforitsexcellentleveractionandaccuracy.ManyasmallgamehunterandbackyardplinkerhaveusedtheMarlin39A.Infactmanytimestheseriflesexchangehandsinfamilieswitheachsuccessivegeneration.The39Aisaperfectexampleofa fullsizerimfirerifle.Manynewshooterscuttheirteethona39Ashootingattincans.Itisconsideredoneofthefinestexamplesofalever-action.22rimfirerifleandhasbeenpopularsinceintroductionandabest-sellingrifleforMarlin.

TheModel39Astartedlife in1891astheModel1891.Thiswasthefirst lever-actionriflechamberedfor.22LR.LatergenerationsoftheModel1891,suchastheModel1892andModel1897(atakedownversion),ledtotheModel39thatcame out in 1921 and the Model 39-A in 1937. Minor engineering andmanufacturing tweaks differentiate the models over the years, and theModel39AoriginallydebutedastheGoldenMountieModel39Ain1954andfeaturedagold-plated trigger. In the 1950s the biggest changewasMicro-Groove rifling,Marlin’sproprietaryrifling.By1983across-boltsafetywasadded,andeversincethe39Ahasbeenvirtuallyunchanged.

The 39A uses the Marlin characteristic side-ejection flat-top receiver. Thisreceiverstyleallowstheeasymountingofanoptic.Thelever-actionisfedviaatubularmagazine.An inner tube is rotatedandpulled fromthemagazine tubeenoughtoallowcartridgestobeinsertedintotheloadingport.Likemostlever-actionsthe39Ahasanexposedhammerthatallowsausertomanuallycockthehammer to fire the rifle. Current models have a rebounding hammer, whichmeans after the hammer strikes the firing pin it automatically rebounds to apositionoffthefiringpin.Thisfeatureensuresthattheriflewillnotaccidentally

fire if dropped on the hammer. The 39A is also designed as a takedown rifle.Loosenthetakedownscrewlocatedontherightsideofthereceiverandthestockandlevermechanismseparatefromthereceiverandbarrel.Thismakescleaningthe39Aeasier.

The currentModel 39A is a swift pointing rifle with the heft of a centerfire rifle and with tack-drivingaccuracy.

EveryshootershouldhavesometriggertimewithaMarlinModel39A.Youwillnotbedisappointed.

LittleSureShotAnnieOakleywas an amazing exhibition shooter and a shooting super starwho appeared in Buffalo Bill’sWildWest shows. Lakota tribal chief SittingBull,whowasalsoamemberoftheBuffaloBill’sshowforatime,gaveOakleythe nicknameWantanya Cicilia, which translated means “Little Sure Shot.”One of hermost famous shooting feats was performed onMarch 10, 1893,when she used aMarlinModel 1891 loaded with .22 Short ammunition toshootonejaggedholeintothecenterofanaceofheartsplayingcardoff-hand,from a distance of 12 yards. Oakley fired the 25 shots in just 27 seconds.Oakleywasaspopularasanypopsingerinmoderntimesandanadvocateforfemale rights and felt it was important for women to learn how to shootfirearms.

AnnieOakleywasatrickshooterinBuffaloBill’sWildWestShow,andattimessheusedaMarlin1891toplyhershootingprowess.

Specifications

CALIBER:.22Short,Long,LongRifle

BARRELLENGTH:24inches

OALENGTH:40inches

WEIGHT:6.5pounds

STOCK:CheckeredAmericanBlackWalnut(currentproduction)

SIGHTS:Adjustablesemi-buckhornrear/rampwithbrassbeadfront

ACTION:Lever-action

FINISH:Blued

CAPACITY:26(.22Short),21(.22Long),19(.22LongRifle)

Micro-GrooveRiflingIn 1953Marlin started to use proprietaryMicro-Groove rifling in their .22rimfire rifles.Unlike traditional cut rifling,Micro-Groove rifling has sixteenshallowgroovesforlessbulletdistortionandabettergasseal.

AnoldadvertisementfromMarlintoutedtheadvantagesofMicro-Grooveriflingovertraditionalrifling.

WinchesterModel94

“The”DeerRifleProduced:1894–2006,2010–PresentWhenourgrandfathershunteddeer,adeerrifleusuallymeanta.30-30andoftenmorespecificallyaModel94.WinchesterModel94swereacommonsightintheracksatdeercamps.ThebestwaytodescribeModel94sisaspre-64andpost-64model types. A design change took place in 1964 to make theModel 94 lessexpensivetomanufacture.Somestampingsreplacedmilledforgings,rolledpinsreplaced solidpins—Winchesterpurists cringedat the changes.Withover fivemillionModel94sproduced,the94wasaverypopularrifle.Butpuristswillbepurists.In2006theredbrickWinchesterbuildinginNewHaven,Connecticut,lockeditsdoorsforgood.TheModel94wentdormant,butin2010WinchesterbeganproducingModel94sagain;thefirstwasagussied-upengravedmodel.Idomiss“MadeinNewHaven,Connecticut”rollstampedonthebarrel,butI’llsettle for“MadeinJapan”onthecurrentWinchesterModel94rifles.ThenewWinchesterModel94issameasiteverwas—sortof.

Thelever-actionmechanismoftheModel94iscomplexcomparedtotheMarlin336. But the Model 94 is thinner, lighter, and a naturally fast on-target rifle.From itsdebutuntil about1982 theModel94ejectedemptiesupwardmakingmountingascopedifficult.Eitherthescopewasmountedtotheleftsideofthereceiverorforwardofthereceiverlikeonascoutrifle.In1982angle-ejectwasanoptionWinchestertouted;emptieswerenowflungtotherightallowinghuntertomountascopedirectlyontopofthereceiver.Astheriflebrokein,the looplever would sag but continue to operate smoothly. Lever guns are a lot likedungarees from thirty years ago. Both are stiff until broken in. A tubularmagazinewithrightsideloadinggateheldsixroundsof.30-30ammoona20-inchbarrelvariant.In1992acrossboltsafetywasaddedtothedesigntoblockthehammer.Thisofcoursemadetheriflesafer tousebutalsomuckedupthelooksofthisclassic.

The lever and levermechanism in the twenty-first centurymodel is closer to

originalmodels.Edgesoftheleverareradiusedandtheleverloopismoreoval,lessbent,andkidney-shaped,andtheundersideoftheboltismorelikeoriginals.Round locking bolt trunnions and the underside of the bolt are more likeoriginals, so articulating the lever of the new rifles is slick and smooth. Thehammer on new rifles is also rebounding. No half-cock notch like pre-64s. Abrand new feature on the newer variants is an articulated cartridge stop thathelpsavoidmisfeedsordoublingcartridges.Some94shadawayofchewingupthetipofsoftnosebullets.Abuckhornrearsightadjustsforelevationviaaladderandisdriftadjustableforwindage;itpartnerswithagenuineMarbleArmsfrontsightwithabrassbead.Unlikemanypre-andpost-64s,thereisnohoodforthefrontsight.That’sjustaswellsincehoodshadahabitofgettinglostthefirsttimetheyfilledwithsnowordebrisandcausedahuntertomisstheirbuck.Withanoverall lengthof38inchesandaweightof6-3/4poundstheModel94handleslikemodelsofyore.Itisquicktotheshoulder,maneuverable,andtheactionissmoothandeasytooperate.

This1956adplayedonthewesternappealoftheModel94.

Specifications

CALIBER:.25-35Winchester,.30-30Winchester(initialcaliber),7-30Waters,.307Winchester,.32-40Winchester,.32Winchester,.357Magnum,.375Winchester,.38-55Winchester,.44MagnumBARRELLENGTH:16,20(mostcommon),26inches

OALENGTH:37.8inches

WEIGHT:6.8pounds(20-inchbarrel)

STOCK:Smoothwalnut(mostcommon)

SIGHTS:Adjustablesemi-buckhornrear/hoodedbeadrampfront

ACTION:Lever-action,exposedhammer

FINISH:Blued

CAPACITY:6-roundtubularmagazine(20-inchbarrel)

“Mostpopulargamegetter”ishowthe94isdescribedinthis1956ad.

BoththenewerShortRifle(top)andCarbine—yes,thereisadifference—featurearound20-inchbarrel.

Lookingoldschool,thecurrentSportermodelhasa26-inchbarrelandcheckeredstock.

TheModel94,combinedwithnewer.30-30ammochoiceslikethisHornadyFlex-Tipammo,isgoodtogoforthenextonehundredyears.

FirstToGoSmokeless:.30WCFBackin1895,theModel94lever-actionriflewasbuilttousethenew.30WCFcartridge,orasitisbetterknown,the.30-30—treinta-treintasouthoftheRioGrande,“thurty-thurty”northoftheRioGrande.ItwasthefirstcartridgeintheUnitedStatestousesmokelesspowder.The.30WCFdebutedwitha160-grain softpointbullet and30grainsof smokelesspowder stoked toamuzzle

velocityof1,970 fps. It is a rimmedcartridge,whichmeans there is a flangearoundthebaseofthecartridgethatisusedfortwopurposes:oneistoheadspacethecartridgeinthechamber,andthesecondistoextractthecartridge.The .30-30 nomenclature was the old way of describing rounds. The firstnumber indicates the cartridge’s caliber; the second indicates the grains ofblackpowder.Eventhoughthe.30-30usedsmokelesspowder,thenamestuck.For 116 years the .30-30 has been the yardstick by which all other deercartridges aremeasured. It offers light recoil and is quite capable of killingwhitetaildeerandblackbear–sizedgameouttotwohundredyards.Itwouldnot be a first choice for elk, but tons of elk meat and antlers have beencollectedwiththe.30-30.

Traditional rounds like the Winchester and Remington softpoints (left) are time-tested, while theHornadyandFederalcartridgesgivethe.30-30ahigh-techboost.

WinchesterModel1897

TrenchSweeper,DuckReaperProduced:1897–1957(Winchester),2006–Present(reproductions)The reliability and ease of use, if not the ominous sound of a pump shotguncycling,tookamajorstepforwardwiththeWinchesterModel1897pump-actionshotgun. From soldiers and law enforcement to hunters and competitiveshootersthe’97usheredinthewidespreaduseofpump-actionshotgunsduringanerawhenblackpowdershellsandshotgunswererapidlybeingreplacedwithsmokelessshellsandnewerandstrongershotguns.Attheturnofthetwentiethcenturymost shotguns were side-by-sides offering a fast two shots. RepeatingshotgunslikeWinchester’sModel1888lever-actionprovidedmoreshellcapacityand a faster operating mechanism, but it was the pump-action shotgun thatbecame king of fast shooting, fast follow-up shots, andhigh shell capacity. Tothis day, pump-action shotguns are still inwidespread use by countless policedepartments, hunters, competitive shooters, and home defenders. The Model1897,thoughabitclunkybytoday’spump-shotgunstandardhelpedcompanieslikeStevens,Remington,Mossberg,andothersrefinethedesigntoitsmaximumpotential.

TheWinchesterModel1897wasthefirstpump-actionshotgundesignedforthethennewsmokelesspowdershells.Butitwasn’tWinchester’sfirstpump-actionshotgun. John Browning had designed theModel 1893 pump-action shotgun,whichwas introduced in thesameyear.The1893and1897areverysimilar inappearanceandoperation;theModel1893usedblackpowdershells.TheModel1893was later reengineered to use smokeless shells, which aremore powerfulandcreatemorechamberpressure. Inessence theModel1897wasa reworkedModel1893.

TheWinchester1897pump-orslide-actionshotgunfeaturesatubularmagazinedirectlyunderthebarrel.Theactioniscycledbytheuserpumpingorslidingtheforend rearward,whichejects a fired shell andcocks theweapon.The forwardmovement of the forend chambers the round and locks the bolt into battery

making the shotgun ready to fire. If the trigger ispressedwhile the forearm ispumped,thegunwillfire.ThisiscalledaslamfireandallowstheModel97toberapidfired.The’97hasanexposedhammersotheoperatorcanthumbbackthehammer on a loaded chamber and shoot the weapon. Available in numerousbarrellengths,shootershadachoiceofeither12-or16-gaugeandeitherasolidframeortakedown.Overonemillionoftheseshotgunsweremanufactured.

Specifications

GAUGE:12,16(2-3/4-inchshells)

BARRELLENGTH:20(riot),22(trench),26–30inches(commercialvariants)OALENGTH:39.2inches(20-inchbarrel)

WEIGHT:8pounds(20-inchbarrel)

STOCK:Smoothwood/groovedforend(standard)

SIGHTS:Beadfront

ACTION:Pump-action/exposedhammer

FINISH:Blued

CAPACITY:5-roundtubemagazine

DuringWorldWarIatrenchversionoftheModel’97wasmanufacturedwithaheatshieldoverthebarrelandbayonetlug.Itwasusedtocleanoutthetrenchesofenemysoldiersandwasnicknamedthe“trenchsweeper.”Theweaponwassoeffective in the close hand-to-hand combat in the trenches that the Germanscomplainedtheweaponwastoobrutalforcombatanddidnotfollowtherulesofwar at that time. Needless to say theModel 1897 continued to serve in bothworldwarsandwasstillinuseduringtheVietnamWar.

Backhome these shotgunswereborn tohunt.Markethuntersused theModel1897 to its full effect and wreaked havoc with game populations untilmarkethuntingwasoutlawed.Forthetypicalhunter,however,theModel’97wasusedon everything from duck, pheasant, and geese to grouse, quail, and deer. Theversatilityoftheshotguncannotbeunderestimated;itcanbeloadedwithshotorslugsdependingonthegamehunted.Lawenforcementalsofoundthe’97useful;ariotvariantwitha20-inchbarrelwasusedtokeepthepeace.Trapshooters—JohnBrowningwasatrapshootingenthusiastbutusedtheModel1893—foundtheModel1987intrapvariantseffectiveonthetrapranges.

HereacowboyactionshooterexercisesaModel1897onsteeloutlaws.CourtesySASS.

Todaymanyoftheseold’97shavebeenrepurposedwiththeirbarrelscutdowntocompeteincowboyactionshooting.Icallthatagreatretirementfortheseoldshotguns. Compared to modern pump-action shotguns the Model ’97 is acomplicatedmechanism.Chinese-manufacturedclonesofModel ’97havebeenimportedintoUnitedStatesspecificallytomeetthedemandfromcowboyactionshootersthoughtheseshotgunslacktheauraaswellasthefinishoftheoriginals.

ThisisareproductionofthefamedModel1897;Cimarron,Taylor’s&Co.,EMF,andothersimporttheseclones.

TransitiontoSmokelessPowderJohnBrowningwasnot the first todevelop thepump-action shotgun,but itcouldbearguedthathedesignedabetterpump-action,andWinchesterbeganbuilding them starting with the Model 1893. The Model 1893 used ablackpowder 12-gauge shell and was offered to the public just prior to thewidespread changeover to smokeless 12-gauge shells.Winchester thought itbesttotweaktheModel1893andsotheModel1897waslaunchedwithJohnBrowning’smodifications.TheconcernWinchesterhadwiththeModel1893wasahunterorclaytargetshootermightaccidentallyloadasmokelessshellintheModel 1893 gun.Though the shell lengths of the 12 gauge blackpowderloadandsmokelessloadaredifferent—thesmokelessloadislonger—therewasthe possibility of a smokeless round being fired in the Model 1893 andpotentially destroying the shotgun and in turn harming or killing the user.Whenthe1897debutedWinchesterofferedModel1893ownersthechancetoswap the older ’93 model with the newer ’97 model for no charge. LesserliabilityforWinchesterandagooddealforModel1893owners.

Thumb-BusterYoumighthaveanold relativeorneighbororold-timerwhomight refer tothe ’97 as a thumb-buster and for good reason.When the action is cycledrearwardtheboltprotrudesfromthereceivertocockthehammerandifyourgripistoohighonthestockyourthumbwillgetbruised.Modernpumpgunshaveahammerlessdesignwherethehammerandboltareactuallyinsidethereceiverawayfromunsuspectingthumbs.

With the action open you can see how the bolt protrudes from the receiver;make sure you have thepropergrip.

Smith&WessonModel10

ThePerfect10Produced:1899–PresentThe revolver has lost stature in this generation of polymer-framedsemiautomaticpistols.Thesix-shot,double-actionrevolver,especiallytheSmith&WessonModel10,isunassumingbecausewetakeitforgranted,enamoredaswearewiththelatestandgreatesttechnology.TheModel10hasprovenitselfasafe,powerful, and reliablehandgun since1899.TheModel 10 isoneof thoseweaponsaboutwhichoperatorsdon’tthinktwice.Ifitisloadedandthetriggerispulled, itwill fire.TheModel10 iscompletelyreliable; that’swhy it’s themostpopular centerfire revolver evermade. Some sixmillion units have been built,someusedbycopsfromcoasttocoast,bytheAlliedforcesduringWorldWarII,andbythosewhodemandaqualityweapontoprotecthouseandhome.

In1899S&WreleasedtheSmith&Wesson.38HandEjectorModelof1899.Therevolver was introduced on a new medium-sized frame S&W named the K-frame.PreviouslyS&WonlymanufacturedlargeN-framerevolvers.ThisDA/SArevolverwasamarveloftechnologyatatimewhensingle-actionrevolverswerestillpopular.TheModelof1899allowedtheoperatortopull thetriggertofiretherevolveraquicksixtimesorcockbackthehammertofire.Ithasnearperfectbalance inhandmaking it anaturalpointer.The sightswere fixedand ruggedandmostimportantlyshottopointofaim.Andtherevolverwasahandysize—nottoosmallortoolarge.TheUSNavyandArmyorderedthousands.In1902S&Wupdated the design and renamed it the .38Military& Police. In 1905 ahammer block was incorporated into the mechanism to avoid discharging acartridgeiftherevolverwasaccidentallydropped.

TheVictoryModelwasaparkerizedModel10outfittedforwar.DuringWorldWarIIVictoryModelschamberedin.38Specialwitheithera4-or5-inchbarrelwereusedby theAllies. Itwas thestandard issue foraircrews for theUSNavyandMarines.Somemodelslastedinserviceintothe1990s.TheuseoftheModel10wassowidespreadamongpolicedepartmentsithasbeensaidthat80percent

ofdepartmentswerearmedwithModel10revolvers.

Revolverswere available in a slew of barrel lengths—2 to 6 inches—and camewitheitheraroundorsquarebutt.TheModel10wasalsochamberedinanewcartridgeat the time, the .38Special.TheUSMilitarywantedamorepowerfulround than the .38 LongColt, so S&Wmet the challenge and introduced theround in1898.Theround isoneof themostpopular revolvercartridgesofalltimesknown for its accuracyandmanageable recoil.Over theyears thepowerand velocity of the round has been increased and+P loadswere developed in1972.

ThesightsontheModel10aresimpleyetrugged.

Thisisapre-warSmith&Wesson.38SpecialHandEjectorM&Pwithanickelfinishand5-inchbarrelwithroundbutt.CourtesyBishop’sFineGuns..

TheSmith&Wesson.38HandEjectorModelof1899wastheforerunneroftheModel10;thisvarianthasa6-inchbarrel.Notethelackofanunderlug,whichwasaddedtolatermodels.

Specifications

CALIBER:.38LongColt,.38/200,.38Special(mostcommon)

BARRELLENGTH:2,2.5,3,4(mostcommon),5,and6inches

OALENGTH:8.8inches(4-inchbarrel)

WEIGHT:34ounces(4-inchbarrel)

STOCK:Checkeredwoodortexturedrubber

SIGHTS:Fixedgrooverear/bladefront

ACTION:Single-action/double-action

FINISH:Blue(mostcommon),nickel,orstainless

CAPACITY:6

ThisisanexampleofaSmith&Wesson.38M&Pmodelof1905,the4thchangeTargetmodelwitha6-in.barrelandsquarebutt.CourtesyofBishopsFineGuns.

TheModel64isastainlesssteelversionoftheModel10.CourtesySmith&Wesson.

RetroiscoolandS&WofferstheModel10throughitsClassicseriesofguns;thismodelhasaroundbutt.

TheFBILoadIn1972when.38Special+PammowasdevelopedtheFBIwaslookingforaneffective .38 Special round. The FBI chose to load a 158-grain unjacketed,semi-wadcutter hollow-point soft lead bullet. The round was designed torapidlyexpandinasofttargetwhenfiredfroma2-or4-inchbarreledrevolver.

TheFBILoadusesanunjacketed,semi-wadcutterhollow-pointbulletmadeofsoft lead; this isacrosssectionofthebullet.

Winchester SuperX ammo is loaded to FBI specswith amuzzle velocity of 890 fps and 278 ft-lbs ofmuzzleenergy.

SavageModel99

TheSavageCode:Bolt-ActionAccuracyinaLever-ActionProduced:1899–1998WhenIwasyounganduneducatedinthewaysofdeercamptherewasarifleinthe rack that had a lever but no hammer. The ability to silently cock back ahammeronadeerriflewasanart Iwasstillperfecting,but thisriflemadethetaskmoot.When Iwasallowed to shoulder the rifle, I found the leverworkedwithaslicknessnothinglikeaMarlinorWinchesterorStevens.Theownerheldouthishand,andinhispalmwerepointedbullets.Thosecan’tworkinatubularmagazine.Buttheriflehadnotubularmagazine;ithadabuilt-inboxmagazine.TheriflewasaSavageModel99,andatthatmomentitcompletelychangedmynotionofa lever-actionrifle.Thiswasback in the late1970s,Savagehadbeenchanging the general hunting public’s notion of what a lever-action rifle wassince1895.

In1895ArthurW.Savageintroducedahammerlesslever-actionriflenamedtheModel 1895. Itwas nothing like any lever-action rifle seen before. TheModel1895 was sleek and streamlined with no protruding hammer. It was calledhammerless,butthehammeractuallywashousedinsidethereceiver.Therewasacocking indicator,a smallpin thatprotruded fromthereceiver thatcouldbeseen or felt, telling the user that the rifle was cocked. There was no tubularmagazine as there was with all the previous lever-actions from Winchester,Marlin,andothers.TheModel1895usedafive-shotrotarymagazinewhichwasdesignedwithaspring-loaded,groovedspoolthatheldeachcartridge.Thespoolalsoheldacountersotheusercouldeasilyseehowmanyroundswereleftinthemagazine.

ButtheModel1895’srevelationwasitsspritzer-stylebullets.Lever-actionswererequiredtouseflat-orround-nosebulletsduetothetubularmagazine.Withthebullets loaded in line from bullet tip to primer in a lever-action, spitzer orpointedbulletswerenotusedduetothepossibilityofthepointedbulletofonecartridge impacting the primer of the bullet in front of it and causing an

accidentaldischarge.Spitzerbulletsmeanttheriflewasmoreaccurateandmorepowerful than its contemporaries. Savageactually claimedbolt-actionaccuracyin their lever-actionrifles.Designchanges to theModel1895 led to theModel1899in1899.By1920theriflewassimplycalledtheModel99.

Specifications

CALIBER:.22HiPower,.250Savage,.22-250Remington,.243Winchester,.303Savage,.30-40Krag,.300Savage,.30-30Winchester,.308Winchester,.32WinchesterSpecial,.358Winchester,7mm-08Remington,.284Winchester,.38-55WinchesterBARRELLENGTH:20,22,24,26,and28inches

WEIGHT:6.75to8.25pounds(dependingonbarrellength/caliber)

STOCK:Wood/straightorpistolgrip

SIGHTS:Adjustablesemi-buckhornrear/beadrampfront

ACTION:Lever-action/hammerless

FINISH:Blued

CAPACITY:5-roundrotaryinternalmagazine/detachablemagazine(latermodels)

In1965SavagewastoutingtheconvenienceofthedebatablemagazineintheModel99.

This old advertisement claimed “More power, speed, control” and thatwas not justmarketing fluff; theModel99performed.

The rifle became a favoritewithhunters across the country.As optics became

morepopulartheSavageModel99waswell-suitedfortheiruse,sinceitusedasideejectactionandthetopofthereceivercouldbedrilledandtappedtomountascope.Manyhuntersinstalledanapertureorpeeprearsight,makingitafast-to-aimriflewithanequallyfastfollow-upshot.Thetriggerwasalsobetterthanother lever-action rifles at the time. Accuracy was excellent. In the 1960s adetachablemagazine replaced the rotarymagazine in an effort to help reducemanufacturingcosts.Therotarymagazine99saremoredesirable tocollectors,butmostdeerorblackbearhunterswouldtakeeithermodel.

SpeedKills:.250-3000SavageThe .250-3000Savage,alsocalled the .250Savage,was the firstcommerciallyloaded American cartridge to break the 3000 fps speed barrier. CharlesNewton, a firearms enthusiast, designed the cartridge towork in the SavageModel 99 rifle in 1915. An 87-grain spitzer bullet was used to achieve thespeed,whichcompletelyamazedshootersatthetime.Theroundwasaccurate,hadaflattrajectoryandwasusedtohunteverythingfromvarmintstodeer.

Notmanyammunitionmanufacturersstillloadthe.250Savage;thesearesomeolder100-grainSilvertipsfromWinchester.CourtesyDanPazsint,Gunbroker.comDealerKingofcoins.

MedicineGun:WinchesterModel1895

TheModel1895completelychangedthewayWinchesterthoughtaboutlever-actionrifles.Featuringafixedboxmagazineinsteadofatubularmagazine,theModel1895allowedWinchestertochambertherifleinmorepowerfulcalibersthatutilized spitzerbullets.TheWinchesterModel1895wasusedby severalmilitaries including those of Russia and theUnited States.On safari in EastAfricain1909,TheodoreRooseveltusedaWinchesterModel1895chamberedin the powerful .405Winchester cartridge to hunt lion. Roosevelt called theriflecalibercombinationhis“medicinegun”forlions.

TheModel 1895 wasWinchester’s effort to create a lever-action compatible with spitzer or pointedbullets.

EARLYTWENTIETHCENTURY

LugerP08

First9mmPistolProduced:1900–1942;1970s–1994(post-warreproductions)TheLugerP08isoneofthemosticonicanduniquepistolsevermanufactured.ItfeaturesatogglemechanismthatwasinventedbyHugoBorchardt,whousedthemechanismintheC-93pistolin1893.GeorgeLuger,adesigneratLudwigLowesmallarmsfactoryinBerlin,Germany,radicallyredesignedtheBorchardttogglesystemandpatentedanewpistoldesignin1898.ThepistoliscommonlycalledtheLugerandholds thedistinctionasbeingoneof the first successfulmilitarysidearms as well as being the first pistol chambered in 9mm. To this day the9mmcartridgeisthemostpopularhandguncartridgeinusebymostmilitaries,lawenforcementagencies,andciviliansaroundtheworld.

Somesemiautomaticpistolsofthiserautilizedaninternalboxmagazinehousedforward of the trigger guard, like the Mauser C96 and the Bergman-BayardModel1903.TheJohnBrowning–designedFNBrowningM1900andtheLugerused amagazine housed in the grip of the pistol, which is howmostmodernhandguns evolved. Inoperation the toggle andbarrel assemblymove rearwardafteraroundisfired;thebarrelisstoppedbytheframe,butthetogglecontinuesandthekneejointofthetogglebendstoextractthecaseandthenmovesforwardto push a fresh round from the magazine into the chamber. In hand thecomfortablegripangleoftheLugermakesthepistolanaturalpointer,easyfortheoperatortoaimandgetontargetfast.TheLugerisreliablewhenusinghighvelocitycartridgesthatproduceenoughrecoiltooperatethemechanism.

TheLugerwasoriginallychamberedin.30Luger(7.62x21mm)andproducedbyDeutscheWaffen-undMunitionsfabriken(DWM)startingin1900.Atthistimerevolversweretheonlytypeofhandgun.Semiautomaticpistolsatthistimewere

radicallynewandmostwereawkwardandcomplex.TheSwissMilitarywasthefirst toadopt thepistol in1900.TheGermanyNavy liked theLugerpistolbutwanted a pistol with a more powerful round. Luger redesigned the .30 Lugercartridgein1902byresizingthebottleneckcartridgecasetoholdalargerbulletand creating the 9x19mm or 9mm Luger/Parabellum round. In 1904 theImperialGermanyNavyadoptedtheLugerchamberedin9mmwitha5.9-inchbarrel and a two-position rear sight. TheGermanArmywas also keen on thenewpistolandin1908acceptedtheLugerasthePistole08orP08.TheP08witha3.9-inchbarrelisperhapsthemostcommonvariantoftheLuger.Itservedwiththe German Army duringWorldWar I andWorldWar II. Shortly after theGerman adoption, other countries like Holland, Brazil, Bulgaria, Portugal,Russia,andothersbeganusingit.TheUSArmyevenconsideredtheLuger,butadopted the M1911 instead. The P08 was manufactured by DWM (DeutscheWaffen-und Munitionsfabriken) and also by Erfurt, Mauser, Simon & Co.,Krieghoff,andothers.In1994astainlesssteelvariantbearingtheStoegernamewasmanufactured inTexas.Other firearmdesignshave copied theLuger gripangle, such as the RugerMark I (United States), GlisentiModel 1910 (Italy),LahtiHusqvarnaModel40(Sweden),LahtiL-35(Finland),andNambuType14(Japan)tonameafew.

Specifications

CALIBER:7.65x21mmParabellum(.30Luger),9x19mmParabellum(9mm)

BARRELLENGTH:3.75–7.87inches(4-in.mostcommon)

OALENGTH:8.75inches(4-inchbarrel)

WEIGHT:30.72ounces(4-inchbarrel)

GRIP:Checkeredwood,plastic(warproduction)

SIGHTS:Fixed,notchrear/bladefront

ACTION:Semiautomatic,shortrecoil-operated,toggle-locked

FINISH:Bluedframe/barrel,strawcontrols

CAPACITY:8-roundmagazine

Likemostsemiautomaticsofthetime,theLugerrequiredcarefulhand-fittingofparts; thus, manufacturing was expensive and time consuming. Nonetheless,Lugersarehighlyprizedbycollectors,withsomevariationsconsideredmorerareandcoveted.

TheP08wasthefirstpistoltobechamberedin9mm,whichisthemostwidelyusedandpopularcaliberin

usetoday.

CivilianswerequicktoadoptthenewsemiautomaticLuger,likethislawmaninthelatenineteenthcentury.

TheLugerwasaspopularwithcivilianshootersasitwaswithmilitaryandpolice.

Lugersarecovetedbycollectors;thisspecimencostssome$5,000.00.CourtesyofMitchell’sMausers.

TherearbackstraponsomeLugermodels,likethisone,allowedanoperatortoattachashoulderstock.

TheLuger’scontemporarywastheMauserC96,whichhadaninternalboxmagazineloadedviaastripperclip,shownherewithawoodshoulderstockthatdoubledasaholster.CourtesyM62.

SomeTexasRangersin1907werefasttoadoptthenewLuger.HereCaptainJohnH.RogersholdsaLuger.That’sfamouslawmanFrankHamerintheblackhatholdingaWinchesterModel1892carbine.

AGermansoldierduringWorldWarIIcheckshisLugerduringdowntimeinthefighting.

AsergeanttakespracticeaimwithaLuger;noticethenaturalgripangle.

ArtilleryLugerTheArtilleryLugerfeaturedalong7.87-inchbarrel,atangentrearsight,andawoodshoulderstockthatattachedtothegripbackstrap.DuringWorldWarIitwasfittedwitha32-rounddrummagazineandissuedtoartillerytroops.

GermanartillerymeninWorldWarIposewiththeirlong-barrelArtilleryLugersandsnail-shapeddrummagazinesthatheld32rounds.

.45-CaliberLugerWhentheUSArmywas lookingforanewsidearmin1907,DWMprovidedtestsamplesofLugerschamberedin.45ACP.Ofthetwopistolssubmitted,thelocationofoneisunknownandtheotherisinaprivatecollection.Theirvalueisestimatedataboutonemilliondollars.MikeKrause inCaliforniamakesareproductionforsubstantiallyless.

TheMikeKrausereproductionLugerischamberedin.45ACP.

BrowningAuto-5

TheHumpbackProduced:1903–1998Not the most flattering nickname—Humpback—for the first successful mass-producedsemiautomaticshotgun,yetitisapt,sincethereceivercomesstraightback from the barrel and comes to a sudden stop. Unlike more modernsemiautomaticshotgunreceiversthatgentlytaperintothestock,thisHumpbackextends the sight plane closer to the shooter’s eye for fast shooting on claypigeonsorbirds.Ihavefondmemoriesofpheasantandgrousehuntingwitha“SweetSixteen”Auto-5chamberedin16-gauge.Thefeltrecoilfromthisshotgunis unique,more of a clunking, piston-like shove than a kick, due to the long-recoiloperatingsystem.

Whenashellisfired,boththebarrelandboltmoverearward.Theemptyshellisspitoutoftheejectionportandthelargerecoilspringdrivesthebarrelandboltforward, picks up a fresh shell and chambers it. It works like an industrialmachine blowing all burned powder out the barrel. There is no burning gasresidue buildup like in gas-operated shotguns such as the Remington 1100,BerettaAL391, andothers.TheAuto-5 is loaded via a port under the receiverandintoatubularmagazinehiddenbytheforend.Themagazinetypicallyholdsfour roundswith one in the chamber, hence theAuto-5 name.Unique to theBrowning/FNmanufacturewasamagazinecutoffthatallowedahuntertostoptheflowofshells fromthemagazineandloadadifferentround—aparticularlyhandy feature when hunting birds and a buck walks into the scene. Flip themagazine cutoff,unload the shot shell, replacewitha slug, andpray thebuckhasn’tseenyou.Asystemoffrictionringslocatedundertheforearmandaroundthemagazine tube regulates the recoilmovement.When shooting light targetloads, the rings are positioned oneway; you switch themwhen shooting highvelocityduckloads.Intheolddayswhenshotshellsweremadewithpaperhullsandswelledwhenwet,theAuto-5chompedthroughevenswelledhullswithoutahitch,makingitpopularwithduckhunters.

TheAuto-5wasactuallydesignedin1898byJohnBrowning,whothoughtitwashis“bestachievement.”WhenWinchesterrefusedhistermsonadeal,BrowningbroughttheguntoRemington,butthethen-presidentofRemingtonhadaheartattack,killing thedeal.Browning turned toFN inBelgiumtomanufacture theshotgun starting in 1902. Browning then licensed the design to Remington in1905astheModel11,makingitthefirstsemiautomaticshotgunmanufacturedintheUnitedStates.RemingtonproducedtheModel11until1948.ThedesignwasalsolicensedtoSavagefortheirmodel720,producedfrom1930–1949,andother subsequent models. Browning the company ceased production in 1998,and at the time, theAuto-5was ranked the second best selling semiautomaticshotgunintheUnitedStatesjustbehindtheRemingtonModel1100.

Specifications

GAUGE:20,16,or12

BARRELLENGTH:26to32inches

WEIGHT:6.88to8pounds(dependingonbarrellength/gauge)

STOCK:Checkeredwalnut

SIGHTS:Brassbeadfront,metalbeadmidrib

ACTION:Longrecoil-operated,semiautomatic

FINISH:Blued

CAPACITY:4+1

Chamberedin20-or16-gaugetheAuto-5madeanicecarryingandfastshootingfieldgun.

Browninggunshavealwayshadaprestigiousappeal,whichthis1947adreinforces.

HumpbackRebornIn2012BrowningintroducedtheA5shotgun,whichlooksverysimilartotheAuto-5except theA5useswhatBrowningcallsaKinematicDriveoperatingmechanism, not the original long-recoil system. The new A5 uses kineticenergy tooperate thegun similar to the InertiaDrive systemBenelliuses intheirsemiautomaticshotguns.

BrowningrevivedtheHumpbacklookintheA5shotgun,buttheoperatingmechanismisdifferentthanthatoftheAuto-5.

ColtM1911A1

America’sCombatPistolProduced:1911–PresentJohnBrowning stood by as theUnited StatesArmyput theColt pistol,whichwasBrowning’sdesign,throughitspacesinanendurancetestin1910.TheColtpistolhadsixthousandroundsfiredthroughitoverthecourseoftwodays,andasthepistolheatedupfromtheextendedfiring,itwassimplydunkedintowatertocool itoff. Itperformedflawlessly.Nootherpistol in the testingtrialscouldcompeteagainsttheColt.Itwasaworkhorseinahard-hittingcaliberthatcouldtake whatever abuse the military could throw at it. Soon after the trials, thegovernment adopted the new Colt semiautomatic pistol in .45 ACP as theM1911. The pistol/caliber combination is as much a powerful and effectivecombatpistolasitisasymbolofAmerica’spower.

The M1911, and later the revised M1911A1, is our military’s longest servingsidearm, and the .45 ACP cartridge is one of America’s favorite rounds. Thepistol has been in service with the military since 1911—hence the modeldesignation—andtodayall1911-typepistolsarecommonlyreferredtoas1911s.ThoughColtwastheoriginalmanufacturerandstillcataloguesthe1911astheModel O, numerous firearm manufacturers produce a large variety of 1911pistols suited for combat, law enforcement, personal defense, and competitiveshooting like 3-Gun, IDPA, USPSA, and Bullseye. There are times we maywonderwhatweusedbeforethe1911.

At the turnof the twentiethcenturyduring thePhilippine–AmericanWar,UStroops fighting Moro guerrillas found the standard issue Colt double-actionrevolverwithswing-outcylinderchamberedin.38LongColtananemicweapon.Theyearwas1902andtheColtrevolveratthetimewasahigh-techweaponinthelatest,greatestcaliber.IttooktwowarsfortheUnitedStatesgovernmenttorealize theballisticdeficiencyof the .38LongColt cartridge.Thebootson theground had a shorter learning curve. Numerous accounts told of enemycombatantsbeingshotnumeroustimesinvitalareaswiththe.38LongColtonly

to keep fighting. Themilitary’s quick-fix solution was to take the Colt SingleActionArmy(SAA)revolverin.45LongColtoutofmothballs.Thegovernmenthad SpringfieldArmory inMassachusetts and theColt factory inConnecticutreworkover16,000ColtSAACavalryrevolvers.Thesereworkedrevolverswouldbecome known as Artillerymodels, since the refurbished guns were issued toartillerytroops.Americawasbeginningtofallinlovewithaswellasrelyonthestoppingpowerof.45-calibercartridges.TheSAAswereastopgapsolution,butthemilitary stillneededanewservice sidearm.Semiautomaticpistolswere thefuture.

TheThompson-LaGardeTestsin1904testedmultiplecalibers—.30Luger,9mm,.38LongColt,.38ACP,.45LongColt,.476Eley,and.455Webley—todeterminetheoptimumbullettypeandvelocityforstoppingeffect.Fiveliveheadofcattleat the Nelson Morris Company Union stockyards and human cadavers wereusedinthetests.Thecadaversweresuspendedintheairandusedtomeasuretheswayandmovementofthebodyasitwashitwithdifferentcalibersfromvaryingdistances.Thewoundscreatedinthecattleandhumanbodieswereexaminedindetail and the tests confirmed a .45-caliber handgun round was optimal atproviding the best shock and stopping effect. Now the only problem the USArmyhadwasfindingtherightpistolandcalibercombination.

Colt felt itsModel1905pistol in .45ACPwasasuitablecandidate for thenewmilitary pistol. Colt modified about two hundred Model 1905 pistols to USMilitary specifications and submitted them in 1907 for testing. The designneededworksoJohnBrowningwentbacktothedrawingboard,asitissaid,andcameupwiththeModel1911pistol.Itwasdesignedandbuiltfromtheonsetforcombat.Therewasnothingsubtleaboutthepistol.Itwasbuilttotaketheabuseof combat and after testing left no doubt about the Model 1911’s durability,accuracyandreliability.Therefore,theArmyadoptedtheColt-made,Browning-designedpistolastheAutomaticPistol,Caliber.45,M1911.

TheModel1907Contract.45wasavariationoftheColtModel1905producedtoUSMilitaryspecsandtheprecursortotheModel1911.CourtesySpringfieldArmoryNationalHistoricSite.

TheM1911isagoodplacetostartoutwhendescribingthe1911platformpistol,sincethebasicdesignhasnotchangedthatmuchoveronehundredyears.TheM1911 is a single-action, semiautomatic pistol that uses a recoil-operatedmechanism.The original caliber for the pistol and the calibermost associatedwiththepistol isthe .45ACP,thoughnumerouscalibershavebeenchamberedinthepistolsince.Themilitary .45ACPcartridgewas loadedwitha230-grainUSArmyBallFMJbulletwithamuzzlevelocityof830fpsandmuzzleenergyof352 ft-lbs. By today’s standards the big bullet is slow moving but effective.Comparedtothemil-specM8829mmballammousedbytheUSMilitarytoday,the9mmroundfiresa112-grainFMJbulletatabout1263fps.Theshort-recoilaction designed by John Browningwas nothing less than revolutionary at thetime.As the round is firedboth the slideandbarrel recoil together fora shortdistancebefore theyunlockandseparate.Thebarrel stops its rearwardmotionand uses a swinging link to slightly tilt upward. At the same time the slidecontinuesrearward,compressingtherecoilspring,extractingandthenejectingtheemptycase,andas therecoil springexpandstochangethedirectionof theslide, the slide feeds a fresh round from the top of the box magazine, and

continues forwardand finallyagain locksbackupwith thebarrel.This typeofshort-recoil mechanism, in one form or another, has been used by nearly allpistolmanufacturerseversince,makingitthemostcommonmechanismusedinsemiautomatichandgunsinthetwentiethandtwenty-firstcenturies.Glock,SIGSauer,CZ,HS2000/SpringfieldArmoryXD,Smith&Wesson,Ruger,Heckler&Koch,andothersalluseamodifiedversionoftheshort-recoilsystemandthusshareBrowningdesignDNA.

TheM1911 feeds the fat .45 ACP cartridges from a single stack, seven-roundcapacitymagazine, though today eight-roundmagazines aremore common inthe1911platform.TwoautomaticsafetydevicesareutilizedintheM1911.Thefirst is adisconnector thatprevents the releaseof thehammerunless the slideandbarrelarefullyforwardandlockedinbattery.Thesecondisagripsafetythatlocksthetriggerunlessthegripsafety ispressed;graspingtheguninthefiringposition disengages the grip safety. Amanually operated thumb safety is alsobuilt into the design.With the thumb safety engaged, both the slide and thehammer are locked inposition.OriginalM1911s featured a long trigger and aflatmainspringhousingwithabuilt-in lanyard loop.Thesightsconsistedofasmallfrontbladeandnotchedrearsightsetinadovetail.Gripswerecheckeredwalnut with a double diamond pattern. Field stripping the M1911 formaintenance was simplified with the 1911 compared to othermilitary servicepistolsatthetimemadebyDWM,Bergmann,Steyr,Mauser,andothers.

WithtensionhighontheMexico–UnitedStatesborder,GeneralJohnJ.“BlackJack” Pershing chased Pancho Villa in 1913. Some of Pershing’s troops wereequippedwiththenewM1911pistols.TherealtestoftheM1911,however,camethenextyearwhentheUnitedStatesenteredWorldWarI.DuringWorldWarI,it was found that soldiers were firing the M1911 low, so a few designmodificationsweremade tomake theM1911 easier andmore comfortable toshoot accurately. An arched mainspring housing replaced the flat one whichrotated the pistol higher in the operator’s hand so shot would hit higher. Ashorter trigger was swapped out for the longer one and the wood grips werereplacedwithcheckeredbrownplastic.Materialbehindthetriggerareaonbothsidesof the receiverwas removed tomake thepistolmorecomfortable for thetriggerfingerofeitheraleft-orright-handedshooter.Thepistolalsofeaturedaparkerized finish. The modified pistol was designated the M1911A1 andmanufacturedpriortoandduringWorldWarII.

About 1.9 million 1911A1s were built during World War II by severalmanufacturersincludingColt,RemingtonRand,UnionSwitch&Signal,IthacaGunCompany, and Singer.The pistolswere durable and easily refurbished toextendtheirservicelife.AtestamenttotheM1911A1designisitslongevityandthe ability to be rebuilt and reissued. No new 1911s were purchased by thegovernment post-war. All the 1911 pistols used afterwardwereWorldWar IIvintage or older. The M1911A1 was used again during the Korean War, theVietnamWar,DesertStorm,andallotherconflictsup to thepresentdaywithspecial forcesoperators,even thoughtheM1911A1wasofficiallyreplacedwiththeBeretta92FSin1985,whichtheUSMilitarydesignatedtheM9.TheservicelifeofaM1911A1isapproximately250,000rounds;theM9hasaservicelifeofabout25,000rounds.TheUSMarineCorpswasloathetoreplacethe1911andthus used remaining inventory—you can only rebuild these old warhorses somanytimes.

The1911cangenerallybeplacedintotwoconfigurationtypes:theSeries70andSeries80.OriginalM1911suseaSeries70configuration,inwhichaheavyfiringpin spring prevents the firing pin from accidentally hitting the primer of acartridge. Series 80 pistols employ a firing pin block system that requires thetriggertobefullypressedtoallowthefiringpintohitthecartridgeprimer.

In2012theUSMarineCorpspurchasedtwelvethousandnew1911s,designatedtheM45A1CQBP(CloseQuartersBattlePistol).TheM45A1andtheM1911A1comefromthesamebloodline,butthenewM45A1hasmodernfeatures.Alongtrigger, flat main spring housing with lanyard, dual recoil spring assembly tosoften recoil, a Picatinny rail for mounting accessories, a lowered and flaredejection port, large 3-dot night sights, forward slide serrations, beavertail gripsafety,G10grips,andatanCerakotefinisharejustafewoftheenhancements.TheM45A1stillstartslikeallColt1911sfromthreeforgings:slide,receiver,andslidestop.

TheUSMilitarywerenottheonlyarmedforcestousethe1911.Numerousothernationshaveused the1911.Froma lawenforcementperspective, someSWATteamsfavorthe1911.TheLAPDSWATteamuses1911sbuiltbyKimber.TheFBIHostageRescueTeamandSWATteamsuse1911s.Bullseyeshootersfoundthe1911aneasypistoltomakemoreaccuratebyusingtighterslidetoreceiverand barrel to bushing tolerances and polished feed ramps, to name just a fewtweaks.The1911triggerisalsowellsuitedformodificationsthatproduceacleancrispbreakwithalightpress.Coltbeganproducingtarget1911sinthelate1950scalledGoldCupNationalMatch, and bullseye competitionwas dominated bythe1911pistol.

Since the 1980s many manufacturers have and continue to build 1911-stylepistols.Custom1911builderslikeWilsonCombat,LesBauer,EdBrown,DoubleStar,andNighthawkCustomarejustafewofthecustomgunbuildersthathavetransformed the1911design,making theplatformextremely reliable,accurate,andeffective.STIInternational,ParaUSA,aswellasothers,havemodifiedthe1911toacceptdoublestackmagazines,doublingtheroundcapacityofthepistolfor use in steel plate competitions where fast shooting and plenty of ammocapacitywinmatches.

Today’s 1911s are highly refined and purpose-built for various scenarios:concealability for personal defense, target/action shooting, and LE/militaryapplications.Theyare versatile and field-provenperformers that are extremelypopularwithcivilianandLE/militaryusers.ManymodernsemiautomaticpistolsmanufacturedtodayoweJohnBrowninganodofrespectforhisgroundbreakingdesign.

Gen.KeysandtheM45A1CQBPIn2012whentheM45A1wasintroduced,IhadtheopportunityandpleasuretospeakwithLieutenantGeneralWilliamM.Keysabouthis life,hisworkatColt, and especially the 1911. When you meet General Keys you have animmediatesenseofwantingtopleasehim.HefillstheroomwithhispresenceandthatisafeatconsideringwewereintheboardroomofColtDefensewithaportraitofSamuelColt.Hishandismeatyandstrongasweshake.Myguttellsmeheissternandfair.I’vereadhiscallnameinOperationDesertStormwas“PitBull”forgoodreason.Idiscoveredheisfairandaboveall,heisaleaderwhovaluesloyalty.

WhentheGeneralusestheword“combat”heusesitasonlyapersonwhohasdirect experience can. In 1967 he was a young captain in the thick of it inVietnam. In the Cam Lo district in early March 1967 Keys engaged andrepelledalargeenemyforce.HereceivedtheNavyCrossandtheSilverStar.Heishumbleandtalksaboutthebondsmenformwhentheyareincombat.The1911isthetypeofpistolthatalsohasabondwiththoseincombat.

Afterretiring fromthemilitary,Keys foundhimselfonWallStreetandtookthejobofpresidentandCEOofColt.HehassinceretiredasCEOandnowsitson the board of directors. Keys readily admits he was not trained as abusinessman, but he knewhow to lead, andhe is creditedwith gettingColtback in the game. He believes quality is important, and nothing leaves thefactoryifitisnotthebestColtcanbuild.

“The1911isanolddesign,andadesignthatworks,”saidLt.Gen.Keys.“TheMarines,infactallthebranchesoftheUSMilitary,havecarriedthe1911forover one hundred years, and naturally theMarines took a look at the 1911again.The1911 isagun that isdesigned toshootandkill.And itdoes that.Using the gun in combat is a whole different experience than shooting tincans.Therearealotwhothinktheyknowthegun,buttheydon’t.Thegunincombatispartofyou.Youbondwithitasmuchasyoudotheguysyoufightwith.Once youbecome familiarwith it, it is accurate anddependable. JohnBrowningwasaprettysharpguy.Whenyoupullthispistolfromyourholsteritfitsyour,pointsnaturally,andincombatyouareshootingcloseandfast.”

ThesimilaritiesbetweentheM45A1prototypeandColtRailproductiongunareclose.

ThedifferencebetweentheM45A1andthelast1911thatwasusedbytheUSMilitary, the 1911A1, is like night and day. “The M45A1 is a souped-up

versionof the1911A1,” explained theGeneral. “It isbasedon theRailGun,whichColthasbeenmakingforyears,andtheM45A1isanenhancedversionof the Rail Gun.” Externally the M45A1 is similar to the Rail Gun, butinternallyitisbetter.Ithasastainlessnationalmatchbarrel,bettertrigger,anddual recoil spring like those used in the Colt Delta Elite for a softer recoil.“Thereisagreatclamoringforthe1911tocomebackasaserviceweaponallacrossthemilitarybecauseofitsreliability,knock-downpower,easetoshoot,”added the General. With other polymer-framed striker-fired pistols on themarketaswellasothermanufacturersbuilding1911pistols,itisabitofpoeticjusticethatColtandthe1911wereawardedthecontractbytheMarines.

AuthortestfiringtheM45A1ataColttestrangeinFarmington,Connecticut.

CommandersandOfficersCommon 1911 variants produced by Colt include the Commander, whichfeatures a 4.25-inch barrel and full-size receiver. The Commander was firstproduced starting in 1950 and was the first mass-produced pistol with analuminumframe.ItwasalsothefirstColtpistoltobechamberedin9mm.TheOfficermodelswereintroducedin1985andoffered.45ACPstoppingpowerin a smaller compact versionwith a 3.5-inch barrel. Smaller variants of the1911 design are offered by a variety of other manufacturers, with Kimberproducing a Promodelwith a 4-inch barrel and full size frame, aCompactvariant with a short grip frame and 4-inch barrel, an Ultra+ with a 3-inchbarrel and full length frame, and anUltrawith 3-inch barrel and short gripframe.

Specifications

CALIBER:9mm,.38Super,.40S&W,.45ACP(mostcommon)

BARRELLENGTH:5.0in.

OALENGTH:8.3in.

WEIGHT:37.0oz.(unloaded)

ACTION:recoil-operated,autoloader,single-action

CAPACITY:7+1(.45ACP)

The Les Baer Premier II is an example of a popular custom 1911 based off the 5-inch barrel full-sizegovernment model and is suitable for duty, defense, or competition. The accuracy guarantee is 3-inchgroupsat50yards.CourtesyLesBaer.

The Kimber Ultra CDP II is a compact 1911 variant with a 3-inch barrel, short grip frame, and a 7+1capacity.

WinchesterModel12

PerfectPumpProduced:1912–1975,1993–1995(Winchester),1988–1992(Browning)TherearepumpshotgunsandthenthereistheWinchesterModel12,theslickestcycling easiest pointing pump shotgun that was ever built. You can shoot theModel12until thebluingwearsoffand theModel12 justkeepsongoing.Allotherpumpshotguns,whetherdeservedornot,arecomparedtotheModel12.Advertisements read, “Everyone Shoots Better with a Model 12.” In this casetherewastruthinadvertising.HuntersandclayshootersalikedroppedbirdsanddustedclayswithanuncannyabilityusingtheModel12.Thereisareasonitwascalledthe“PerfectRepeater.”

ThedesigneroftheModel12wasWinchesterengineerT.C.Johnson.ComparedtopreviousWinchestershotguns,andtheModel1897 inparticular, theModel12was adeparture.An internalhammerwashoused in a streamlined receivermachinedfromforgedsteel.Earliermodelsallowedtheshootertoslamfiretheshotgunbyholdingbackthetriggerandpumpingtheactiontofire.Latermodelschanged this by adding a trigger disconnector. The safety button was locatedforward of the trigger guard, conveniently located where the shooter rested afingerpriortofiringthegun.TheModel12hadtheabilitytoeasilyinterchangebarrels,buttherewerenochoketubesintheseold-schoolshooters.TheModel12featuredanAmericanblackwalnutbuttstockandforend.Shellsareloadedviaaport located in thebottomof thereceiverand intoamagazine tube.Emptiesareejectedtotheright.InitiallytheModel12wasonlyavailablein20-gauge,butby191316-and12-gaugemodelswerecomingofftheassemblylines.

Inthe1950s,theheydayofshotgunning,theModel12wasofferedinavarietyofconfigurations in addition to the standard Field model. Barrels were ofWinchesterProof Steel barrels in lengths of 26, 28, and 30 inches choked full,modified,andimprovedcylinder.

The Super Field, Pigeon Grade, Magnum Duck Gun, Skeet, and Trapcompetitiongunsfeaturedcheckeredstockswithpistolgripcapsandcheckeredforends.Gunscouldbeofferedcustomfittoashooter’sdimensions,andbetterwoodandengravingwereoptions.

Specifications

GAUGE:28,20,16,12

BARRELLENGTH:25,26,28,30,or32inches

OALENGTH:49.5inches(30-inchbarrel)

WEIGHT:7.4lbs.(30-inchbarrel,12-gauge)

STOCK:CheckeredAmericanblackwalnut

SIGHTS:Brassbeadfront

ACTION:Pump-action

CHOKE:Fixed,various

FINISH:Polishedbluereceiver/barrel

CAPACITY:6+1(2-3/4-in.shells)

Likemany itemsbuilt a centuryago, theModel12washand-fitted.Laborwasintenseandsowasthecosttoproducethesegrandshotguns.ShotgunsliketheRemingtonModel870wereofferedatsignificantlylowerpricesthantheModel12. Some twomillionModel 12swerebuilt byWinchester,whileBrowning attimes has offered limited editions of the Model 12. By 1964 production atWinchesterceased.

TheWinchesterModel12isknownasthePerfectRepeaterduetoitsexcellentpointability,slickoperatingaction,andlegendaryreliability.

In1952Winchester’sadvertisementfortheModel12claimed:EveryoneShootsBetterwithaModel12.

AtraitoftheModel12wasitneverworeout,evenoveralifetimeofharduse.Thisadvertisementdrivesthepointhome.

TheModel12wasnotjustusedbyhuntersandtargetshooters.Lawenforcement

andthemilitarymadeuseoftheModel12aswell.Riotandtrenchgunvariantswereequippedwithaheat shieldover thebarrelandabayonet lug.Model12swereusedduringbothWorldWars,theKoreanWar,andtheVietnamWar.

TheModel12isthekingofthepumpguns.ThePerfectRepeaterindeed.

AMiniModel12Instead of reengineering the Model 12 to fire the diminutive .410 shell,Winchester designed a scaled-down, reduced sized Model 42. It wasWinchester’sfirstpumpshotgundesignedforthe.410.LiketheModel12,theModel42wasavailable indifferentgrades andwasproducedbyWinchesterfrom1933to1963.Browningoffereda limitededitionoftheModel42from1991to1993.

ThisisaBrowningModel42LimitedEditionGradeVwithengravingandgoldinlays.CourtesyBishopsFineGuns.

WaltherPPK

TheCompactPistolThatShook,NotStirredProduced:1930–PresentPocketpistolsfirstappearedinWalther’sproductlinein1908,makingthemoneoftheveryfirstfirearmcompaniestomanufacturesmall,compactpistols.ThatDNAhas always been entwined in allWalther pistols, especially in the svelte-lookingPPK.

TheWaltherModelPPK(PolizeipistoleKriminalmodell,orPolicePistolDetectiveModel)wasoneofWalther’searlydesignstosuccessfullyusesteelstampingsinacompact pistol. The PPKwas designed for police use in 1930. It followed theintroductionoftheWaltherPP(Polizeipistole),whichisbasicallythesameasthePPK but uses a longer 3.9-inch barrel and a full steel frame. The PP wasintroducedin1929.Todaysteelstampingsarecommon,andthePPKisiconic.The pistol is still extremely popular todaywith law enforcement agencies as abackupgunandciviliansholdingconcealedcarrypermits.TheGermanmilitaryuseditextensivelyduringWorldWarII,andIanFlemingarmedhisfamousspycharacter, JamesBond,with thePPK.ThePPK’s size, caliber, simple controls,easeofuse,andthepistol’srelentlessreliabilitymakeitabenchmarkincompactpistols.AllcompactpistolsmanufacturedsinceowemanydesigncharacteristicstothePPK.

ThecompactPPKpistolusesasimpleblowbackoperatingsystemandfeaturesatraditionalDA/SAtrigger;asinglestackmagazinewithathingrip,abarrelfixedto the frame, exposed hammer, and decocking lever are some of the otherfeatures. Some magazines also include a floor plate with a finger rest. Thecheckeredplasticgripsofthepistol formthepistol’sbackstrap.Oldschoolforsure,buteversoeffective.AtrademarkfeatureofthePPKisthedecockingsafetylever.Withthehammercockedallthewaybackthesafetyisrotateddownward,decocking thehammerandallowing it to fall against thedecocking lever.Thismodelalsohasloadedchamberindicatorsthatcanbeseenandfeltinthedarkifneed be, telling the user a round is in the chamber.Models are available in a

mattestainlesssteelfinishoratraditionaldeepblue.

The PPK/S is mechanically the same as the PPK but uses a longer full metalframethatholds7+1rounds,of.380ammo.PPK/SmodelsmateaPPframetoaPPKslidetomeetUnitedStatesfirearmsimportationguidelinessetdownbytheGunControlActof1968.ThePP,PPK,andPPK/Sfamilyofpistolsaresomeofthemostpopularandsuccessfulsmallpistolseverdesigned.

DuringWorldWar II the PPKwas issued to numerousGermanmilitary andpoliceforces.AdolfHitlerispurportedtohavecommittedsuicidewithaPPKinhisbunkerstrongholdinBerlinastheAlliesandSovietsenteredthecity.

The PPK inspired other small pistol designs like the Soviet Makarov, BersaThunder 380 fromArgentina, the Hungarian FEG PA-63, andmore. Thoughsmaller and lighter polymer-frame pistols have taken away market share, thePPK’s influenceandnotorietywas sealedwhen IanFleming issued thePPK tohissecretagentcharacter,JamesBond,inhisseriesofspynovels.PPKhasbeenlicensed byManurhin in France, and it is now licensed by Smith &Wesson.OriginalsweremadeinZella-Mehlis,Germany.

Specifications

CALIBER:.22LR,.25ACP,.32ACP;.380

BARRELLENGTH:3.3inches

OALENGTH:6.1inches

WEIGHT:21ounces(unloaded)

STOCK:Checkeredplastic

SIGHTS:Fixednotchrear/bladefront

ACTION:Straightblowback,semiautomatic

FINISH:Deepblueorstainless(latervariants)

CAPACITY:8+1(.22LR),7+1(.32ACP),6+1(.380)

ModernPPKvariantsarefinishedinatraditionaldeepblueorstainlesssteel.

The PPS is about the size of the PPK but constructed with a polymer frame with interchangeable backstraps,asteelslide,striker-firedtrigger,andchamberedin9mm.

Dr.NoIan Fleming, the creator of the James Bond character and author of someseventeen Bond novels and short stories, was chided by British expert infirearms Geoffrey Boothroyd for Fleming’s choice of firearm for Bond—originallyaBerettaM418.Boothroyd suggestedaWaltherPPK7.65mmandFleming took theadvice,armingBondwith thePPKinDr.No. In thanks toBoothroyd,FlemingnamedanMI6armorerinthebookMajorBoothroyd.

ModernPocketPistolsManufacturers suchasKahr,Ruger,Glock, andKel-Tec, tonamea few,usehigh-techpolymerframesandCNCmachiningtoelevatethepocketpistolinfirepower and concealability. Modern compact and subcompact pistols arelight,andsomearechamberedinlargercalibers.

TheKahrCT380ischamberedin.380andweighsonly11.4ouncesunloaded.

TheGlockG43isslightlyover1-inchthickandholds6+1roundsof9mmammo.

Theeconomical.32ACPKel-TecP-32usesapolymerframeandweighs6.6ouncesunloaded.

TheRugerLC9hasaboutthesamedimensionsasthePPKbutoffers7+1roundsof9mmfirepower.

WaltherBringsSexyBackThePK380isbuiltwithapolymerframeandsteelslideandbarrel.ThefirstthingyouwillnoticewhenyoupickupthePK380ishowgoodthegripfeelsinyour hand. From a petite female to hulking brute, the PK380 feels right inanyone’shandanditnaturallypoints.Afingerrestisbuiltintothemagazinefloorplate soyour little finger—ifyouhaveabighand—doesnotdangleoffthe bottom of the grip. The PK380 is angular and aggressive looking. Thecontrols consist of an ambidextrous safety mounted on the slide near thethumbofeitheraright-orleft-handedshooter.Flipituptofirethegun,rotateitdowntoputitonsafe.Themagazinereleaseisalsoambidextrousandbuiltintothetriggerguardsoitiseasytoreleasethemagazinewithwhateverhandyoushootwith.ThetriggeristraditionalDA/SAmeaningthefirstshotisfirstDA (double-action) requiringmore effort topress the trigger, thenonce theroundisfiredtheactiongoesintoSA(single-action)whichrequiresalotlesseffort to press the trigger. TheWalther PK380 is a provocative and invitingcompact pistol. I foundmyself picking up the pistol often. In hand, it feelssensuousandfitsmyhandnearlyperfectly.

Thereisnotalotoframp-uptimerequiredtostartshootingthePK380well.

Whileotherpistolmanufacturershavegonethemicrodesignroute,building.380pistolsthataresmallandultraconcealable,thePK380isslightlylargerthoughstillverycompact.

MauserKarabiner98Kurz

LastGreatBolt-ActionBattleRifleProduced:1935–1945TheMausernameandcompanyhasbeen synonymouswith control-feedbolt-actionriflessince1870.MilitariesaroundtheworldfoundMauserriflestobeatremendous asset in any conflict—reliable, fast to reload, and durable.MauserriflesequippedarmiesinEurope,SouthAmerica,theMiddleEast,andAsiafromthelatenineteenthcenturythroughthetwentiethcentury.

TheMauserKarabiner 98k, also referred to asK98,Kar98k, orK98k,was theconsummateandfinalbolt-actionbattlerifleandthestandardissueservicerifleadopted in 1935 by the German Wehrmacht prior to World War II. Overfourteenmillionwereproduced,andtherearestillcountlessnumbersstillbeingusedtoprotecthomes,tohunt,ortoinciterevolution.

Basedon theMauserM98rifle, theK98k is a shorter, carbinemodel. Itusesacontrol feed bolt-actionwith three locking lugs that have a 90-degree bolt lift.Theboltcocksonopening.Theboltknob is larger than thatofahuntingrifleand thewood stock is inlet to allow quick access. The three-position safety isclassicMauser. The lever, when viewed from the rear, clearly indicates to theoperator thestateof theweapon.Full leftandweapon is ready to fire.Verticalposition blocks the sights and tells the user the rifle is on safe but the bolt isunlockedandcanbeoperatedtoreloadtherifle.Totherightandtherifleisonsafeandtheboltislockedandcannotbeoperated.Toremovethebolt,putthesafetyleverintheverticalpositionandopentheboltandpullitback.Ontheleftside and to the rear of the receiver is the bolt stop release lever. It is hinged,swinging fromthe front torear,andspring loaded.Pull the forwardsectionoftheboltstopawayfromthereceiverandholditoutward,thenremovetheboltfromthereceiver.

TheK98kusesaninternalboxmagazineloadedwithafive-roundstripperclip.Theboltisfullyopenedtotherearandthestripperclipisinsertedintotherear

notchesofthereceiver.Thecartridgesarethenpusheddownusingyourthumb.The stripper clip can thenbe removedbyhandor itwillbepushedoutof therifleastheboltisclosedandroundchambered.

Specifications:

CALIBER:7.92x57mm,alsoknownas8mmMauseror8x57mm

BARRELLENGTH:24.2inches

OALENGTH:43.7in.

WEIGHT:8.2lb.(unloaded)

STOCK:Oil-resistantlaminatedwood

SIGHTS:Adjustablerear/hoodedpostfrontor1.5xZF-41longeyereliefriflescopeACTION:Bolt,controlfeed,two-lug

FINISH:Blued

CAPACITY:5+1

DuringWorldWar II numerous arms factories produced the K98k—Mauser,Sauer,Erma,andothers.TheriflesarecodedsoifyoucomeacrossaK98k,youcanidentifythemanufactureranddateproduced.RifleswithNaziSSmarkingsareextremelyvaluablenow.Opticsmayseemlikearelativelymodernfeatureforacombatrifle,butavariantofthe98kwasequippedwith1.5xpowerscopeanddesignated the98k-ZF41.Nearlyninety thousand98k-ZF41sweresent to thefieldandtheretheyservedasasharpshooter’sweapon,notatruesniperweapon.TheopticdidgivetheoperatoranedgejustliketheTrijiconandEclanoptics,aswellasothers,dotoday.

CommerciallytheM98wasproducedfrom1898through1946.Ifyouweregoingonahunt toAfrica, theMauserwas therifle tocarry.Since theyuseacontrolroundfeedtheserifleswerewellsuitedforhuntingdangerousgamethatcouldstompahuntertoagooeypulp.

TodayMauser is still producing theM98 and if your budget allows, you canpurchaseariflestoriedinwaraswellasthehuntingfield.

AstripperclipisusedtoquicklyloadtheMauser,orcartridgescanbeloadedoneatatime.

The K98 in use during World War II—the rifle was well balanced and fired the powerful 7.92x57mmMausercartridge.

TheGermanWehrmachtconfiguredanumberof98kwithalow-powerscopedesignatingthe98k-ZF41foruseasasharpshooter’sordesignatedrifleman’sweapon.

MauserKnock-OffAfterthebriefSpanish-AmericanWar,theUSArmyanalyzedcaptured1893SpanishMausers.TheMauser’sedgeovertheKragrifleduringtheconflictwasapparent.In1900adesignwasfinalizedbytheUSArmythatborrowedmanyMauserdesignfeatures—fixedinternalmagazine,dualforwardlugbolt,bolt-mountedsafety,andmagazinecut-off.AneffortwasmadebytheUSMilitarytomakethenewdesign,namedtheM1903,differentfromtheMauserwithatwo-piece firing pin and third safety lug, among other details. Productionbegan on the Springfield 1903 at the federal armory in Springfield,Massachusetts.WhenMauser became aware of theM1903, it filed a patentinfringementsuitinUnitedStatescourtsandwon.

HereUStroopsproudlydisplaytheirM1903s;theriflewaswelllikedbysoldiersduetoitsaccuracyandreliability.

TheLegendLivesThe M98 rifle was so durable and accurate it was not long before it wassporterizedandturnedintoahuntingrifle.MausercurrentlyofferstheM98instandard andmagnum caliber configurations.TheMauser is legendarywithhuntersacrossEurope,inAfrica,andnearanywherebiggameishunted.

These are currentmanufactureM98 rifles, legendary for their workmanship and performance in thefield.

Thoughmanufactured in the twenty-first century, thisM98stillused theMauser three-positionsafetyandsideboltreleaselever.

M1Garand

TheGreatestGeneration’sCombatRifleProduced:1936–1957,early1980sWithafullmoonandahightideAlliednavalgunsbelchedhellfireinthedawnofJune6,1944.Thebombardmentpummeledthebeaches—Utah,Omaha,Gold,Juno, and Sword—from the sea.Army troops soon climbeddown the sides ofships into landing craft, vehicle, personnel (LCVP). The Allied landings inNormandyhadbegun. In theLCVPs itwasallhelmetsandM1muzzles, somecoveredwithprophylactics.Theyweretoldthecondomswouldprotecttheborefrom salt water. Enemy artillery missed, punching holes in the water anddrenching troops. Some puked on their boots; it was their second boat ride.GermanmachinegunbulletspeckedatthesteelsidesofLCVPsastheyplowedclosertothebeach.ThentheLCVPsstoppedandallatoncetherampsdropped.

TheGreatestGenerationwasbirthedfromthoselandingcraftsontothebeachesofD-Dayinblood,sand,andseawater,changingthecourseofWorldWarIIinEurope.At every stepof thewaywas theM1Garand rifle, officially called theUnited States Rifle, Caliber .30, or more commonly the M1. The M1 wasrevolutionary. It was America’s first semiautomatic battle rifle and easilyoutclassed Germany’s and Japan’s manually operated bolt-action rifles. Eightshotscouldbe firedasquicklyas thetriggerwaspressed.Witharateof fireofforty to fifty rounds per minute, the M1 offered superior firepower over theslower firing five-shotGermanMauserK98and the five-shot JapaneseArisakaType99rifle.ArmyChiefofStaffGeneralDouglasMacArthursaidthe“Garandrifleisoneofthegreatestcontributionstoourarmedforces.”GeneralGeorgeS.PattonisoftenquotedassayingtheM1was“thegreatestbattleimplementeverdevised.”

TheM1Garandwas developed by JohnGarand—pronounced like “errand”—whowas born in Saint-Rémi,Quebec,Canada, in 1888, and as a childmovedwithhisfamilytoJewettCity,Connecticut.TextilemillswerequitecommoninNewEnglandat that timeandGarand,stilla teen,becameemployedatoneofthemills working his way up tomachinist. Garand showed great aptitude formachinery. He also liked guns. In 1917 the US Army solicited designs on alightweightmachine gun.Garand submitted a design thatwas accepted. Fromthatpointonhewashiredbythegovernment,firsttofine-tunehismachinegundesign at the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, and theneventually he was assigned the task of designing a semiautomatic rifle forinfantryuse.Afteraboutfifteenyearsofdesignanddevelopment,Garandbeganmanufacturinghisdesignin1928andpatentedtheM1in1934.

TheM1’soperatingsystemusesagas-operated, long-strokepiston.TheAK-47uses a similar system.The one-piece operating rod consists of the long-strokepistonandanoperatingrodhandle.Therotatingboltfeaturestwolockinglugsonitsface.OriginallytheM1featuredagastrapinamuzzleextension.Thisset-upwascomplicatedandthedesignwasrevisedin1940touseagasportdrilledin the bottom of the barrel. The rifle’s mechanism is cycled when expandinggases from a fired cartridge travel through the port and into a gas cylinderholding the long stroke piston. The gas pushes the piston and operating rodrearward tounlock the rotatingbolthoused in the receiver.As thebolt travelsrearward it ejects an empty case then reverses direction and moves forwardscraping a fresh round out of theM1. TheM1 was designed to be simple todisassembleandassemble.IttakessecondstofieldstripanM1intothreemaingroups:barrelandreceiver,buttstock,andtrigger.Partseasilysnaptogether.TheM1begantosetthestandardforfuturecombatrifles.

Partof theM1’senduring legacy is itscartridge.Originally therifledesignwaschambered in .276 Pedersen, an experimental 7mm round the military wasdeveloping.GeneralMacArthur nixed the idea of the experimental round andtheM1designwasconverted touse the .30-06Springfieldcartridge, forwhichthere were stockpiles of ammunition on hand. The predecessors of the M1Garand, the bolt-action 1903 Springfield and M1917 Enfield rifles, werechamberedin.30-06.The.30-06Springfieldisabenchmarkcaliberbywhichallother calibers are compared in the United States. GIs returning home fromWorldWarI,whohadusedthe’06inEnfields,soonbroughttheroundtodeercamp and when the Great Generation returned to deer camp the .30-06SpringfieldwouldsoonbeentrenchedasAmerica’sfavoritehuntingcartridge.

TheGarandrifleusedasmart,hightechfeatureoftheday—anen-blocclipthatheld eight cartridges—allowing an operator to quickly load theM1by lockingbacktheoperatinghandleandpushingtheclipintotheM1’sinternalmagazine.It was fast and efficient. Surprisingly, at the time the US Military thoughtdetachable box magazines like those found on the M1’s contemporary, theBritish Lee-Enfield rifle, were less reliable and prone to loss and accumulateddebris in themagazinewell.This viewchangedwhen theUSMilitary adoptedtheM1Carbine.UponfiringthelastroundintheM1,theclipwasejectedwithacharacteristic metallic pinging sound. A myth behind theM1’s “ping” is thatenemy soldiers waited for the sound of the ping and took advantage of GIsreloading theirM1s.After thewar, interviewswithboth JapaneseandGermancombatantsfoundthesoundofthepingcouldn’tbeheardovertheclamorofafirefight.

TheironsightsoftheM1wereexceedinglysturdyandwellsuitedforbattle.Infactcurrentmil-specAR15sightsaresimilartosightsusedontheM1.Thesafetywasalsopurecommonsense.Asteeltablocatedinthefrontofthetriggerguardisrotatedtowardthetriggerandinsidethetrigger.Anoperatorcaneasilytelliftheriflehasthesafetyengagedwithafingerinthetriggerguard.Manualsafetymechanismdesignslikethishavesincebeendeemedlesssafethanotherdesignsbecausetheoperator’sfingerisinsidethetriggerguard,creatingthepotentialforan accidental discharge. Regardless, theM14,which replaced theM1, and theRugerMini-14andMini-ThirtyareexamplesofrifledesignssincetheM1thatuseasimilarmanualsafetysystem.

TheM1Garandwasrevolutionary, ifnotradical,at the time itwasadoptedas

the standard issue rifle for theUSMilitary in 1936. Though adopted, the riflewent through a number of design and production tweaks before rolling offWinchesterandSpringfieldArmoryproductionlines.Atitsproductionpeak,sixhundredriflesweremanufacturedaday.By1941theArmywasfullyequippedwith newM1s. Some 3.8 million rifles were built with production ceasing in1945.

NumerousvariantsontheM1werebuilt.Someexperimentalmodelsweremadewith shorter barrels, detachable magazines, and other features thought to beusefultothemoderncombatsoldier.Snipervariants—theM1CandM1D—werebuiltby theendofWorldWar II,but they saw limiteduse.Since theclipwasinsertedandejectedoutofthetopofthereceiver,opticsweresidemountedtotheM1s.M1CsandM1Dsusedeither2.5xpowerM81/M82or2.2xpowerM84scopesandaleathercheekpad.M1DsalsohadanM2flashsuppressor.Duringthe Korean War American snipers maintained consistent accuracy out to sixhundredyardswith theM1snipervariants,givingAmerican forcesanedge insomeofthetrenchwarfare.

Specifications

CALIBER:.30-06Springfield(7.62x63mm)

BARRELLENGTH:24inches

OALENGTH:43.5inches

WEIGHT:9.5to11.6pounds

STOCK:Smoothwood(varioustypes)

SIGHTS:Adjustablerearaperture/wingedfrontpost

ACTION:Gas-operatedlongstrokepiston/rotatingbolt,semiautomatic

FINISH:Parkerized

CAPACITY:8-rounden-blocclip/internalmagazine

EFFECTIVERANGE:500yards

ThereislittledoubtoftheimpacttheM1Garandhadontheoutcomeofthewar.TheM1wascarriedtovictoryinWorldWarIIinboththeEuropeanandPacifictheaters.AfterthewartherifleswereshippedbacktotheStatesandrefurbished.As the Korean War unfolded in June of 1950, GIs were equipped with thevenerable albeit rebuilt post-WWII M1s. The War Department, however,foresawtheneedforadditionalM1sandcontractedwithInternationalHarvesterand Harrington & Richardson in the early 1950s to produce more Garands.IncludingWorldWarIIproduction,thetotalnumberofM1Garandsbuiltwasabout6.25million.OverseastheM1wasbuiltbyBredaandBeretta.BythetimetheVietnamWarhadbegun,theM1wasstillbeingcalledtodutyandissuedtoreserve troops into the early 1970s, although it had been officially replaced in1957asafrontline-serviceweaponwiththeM14.

Into the 1980s, the Garand was still in use by some militaries of numerouscountries.Duringitsreignasapremierbattlerifle,theM1wasusedbyGreece,Denmark, Jordan, Republic of Korea, Norway, and South Vietnam, amongothers.Today theM1Garand is stillusedby theUSMarineCorpsSilentDrillTeam and the US Air Force Academy Cadet Honor Guard as well as ROTCteamsandsomeforeignmilitarydrillteams.Civiliansbyfararethebiggestusersof the M1 Garand today. The Civilian Marksman Program (CMP) allows

qualified individuals topurchasesurplusM1s.TheM1isused inServiceRiflesmatchesacrossthecountrywhereitisfiredfromavarietyofshootingpositions—standing,kneeling,sitting,andprone—attargetsfromtwohundredyardsouttosixhundredyards.OtherscollectGarands.GarandcollectorsprizeagastrapM1,asmostgastrapmodelswereretrofittedtothegasportdesign.SomehaveusedtheM1forhuntingbuttheM1’sheft—onaveragetenpounds—makeitaheavyrifletototeaswellasnotbeingeasytomountascope.

TheM1Garandproveditsbattleworthinessasanaccurateanddurablerifleinavariety of severe environmental conditions during World War II—sand andseawater on the beaches during D-Day, intense cold during the Battle of theBulge,andtheheatandhumidityofjunglesinthePacificTheaterinplaceslikeIwoJima,Guadalcanal,Okinawa,andelsewhere.TodaytheM1Garandisprizedasaclassicmilitaryrifle still capableof shooting theblackoutofbull’s-eyes incompetition.

GarandThumbIncorrect handling causes an M1 Garand’s bolt to slam forward onto theoperator’s thumb, thus causing what is called “M1 thumb” or “Garandthumb.”Typicallytheoperatorhasfailedtofully locktheboltrearward,andfriction between the moving parts temporarily seizes the bolt. When theoperatorpushesdownonthefolloweroraccidentallybumpstherifle,theboltslams forward. A stream of expletives typically follows an occurrence ofGarandThumb.

Clips:Stripper,Moon,HalfMoon,andEn-BlocAclipisadevicethatholdsmultipleroundsofammunitionasoneunitsoitcan be quickly inserted into a firearm’s internal magazine. The Springfield1903A3, SKS rifles, and Mauser 1896 pistol use a stripper clip that keepscartridges inasinglecolumn.Thestripper is inserted into themagazineandtheoperatorpressesdownonthecartridgesstrippingthemfromtheclipandintotheweapon’smagazine.Thestripperclipisthentossed.TheM1917andS&WM625aretwoexamplesofrevolversthatusehalf-moonandmoonclips.Half-moon clips hold three rounds; moon clips hold six rounds. The clipsallow the revolver’s chambers to be loadedmore quickly than if each roundwere loading separately. The M1 Garand uses an en-bloc clip that holds adoublestackcolumnofeightcartridges.Both theen-blocclipandcartridgesareloadedintotheM1’smagazine.Afterthelastroundisfiredtheen-blocclipis ejected from the magazine. Want to annoy a Garand collector? Call amagazineacliporaclipamagazine.Dosoatyourownrisk.

WinchesterModel70

TheRifleman’sRifle—ReallyProduced:1936–1963(pre-’64),1964–1994(pushfeed),1994–Present(Classic)Ifthereeverwasaniconicbolt-actionhuntingrifle, it istheWinchesterModel70. Of course it really depends on when the Model 70 was manufactured.Collectorsandhuntersgrouptherifleintothreemanufacturingperiods.Thefirstis Pre ’64 rifles, which are the most desirable—the sweet spot of Model 70manufacturing—and were built between 1936 and 1963. These rifles use aMauser-stylecontrolroundfeedsystemwithatwo-lugboltwith90-degree lift,three-position safety, blade type ejector, a cone-shaped breech that funnelscartridges into thechamber,amachinedsteel floorplate,andexcellent trigger,amongotherfeatures.Itwasthetypeofriflehuntersaspiredtoown.TheseriflesmadetheModel70legendary.

ThenextperiodintheModel70evolutionwasthepushfeedmodelsbuiltfrom1964to1994,whichwasanattempttomaketheModel70moreeconomicaltomanufacture.These rifleswere slightlymoreaccurate than thePre-’64models,buttheywereuglyandtoWinchesterpuristsitrubbedtheirfurthewrongway.These rifles used a push-feed system in lieu of the controlled-feed system andgaveWinchesterablackeyewhileturningoffmanyWinchesterenthusiasts.

The third period ofmanufacture is considered the Classic and began in 1994whenWinchesterfinallywisedupandrevertedbacktothePre’64controlfeedstyleaction.ThesecurrentmodelshaveredeemedtheiconicriflemakerbacktothestatusithadwhenPre’64rifleswerethedarlingrifleofgunwriterslikeJackO’Connor, killed dangerous beasts in Africa, and won target shootingcompetitions.

Specifications

CALIBER:.22Hornet,.222Remington,.223Remington,.22-250Remington,.223WSSM,.225Winchester,.220Swift,.243Winchester,.243WSSM,.250-3000Savage,.257Roberts,.25-06Remington,.25WSSM,6.5x55mm,.264WinchesterMagnum,.270Winchester,.270WSM,.270WeatherbyMagnum,280Rem.,7mmMauser,7mm-08,7mmRemingtonMagnum,7mmWSM,7mmSTW,.300Savage,.30-06Springfield,.308Winchester,.300H&HMagnum,.300WinchesterMagnum,.300WSM,.300WeatherbyMagnum,.300RUM,.325WSM,.338WinchesterMagnum,.35Remington,.358Winchester,.375H&HMagnum,.416RemingtonMagnum,.416Rigby,.458WinchesterMagnum,.470CapstickBARRELLENGTH:20,22,or24in.(dependingoncaliber/model)

WEIGHT:6.75to7.25lb.(dependingoncaliber)

STOCK:Checkeredwood(standard)

SIGHTS:Adjustablerear/hoodedbrassbeadfront

ACTION:Bolt,controlfeed,two-lug

FINISH:Blued(standard)orstainless(Classic)

CAPACITY:3+1or5+1(dependingoncaliber)

Winchester’sexperiencewithbolt-actionriflestookholdwiththehuntingpublicbeginning in 1925with the introduction of theModel 54, whichwas the firstsuccessfulcommercialbolt-actionrifleWinchesterproduced.TheModel54wasa fine rifle but expensive tomanufacture, hard tomount an optic (whichwasbecoming the normwith hunters in those days), aswell as some other designfeaturesthatneededtweaking.WinchestersetitsengineersontothetaskandtheresultwastheModel70,whichbeganrollingofftheassemblylinein1936.RiflescouldbehadingradesstartingfromStandard;Featherweightwasalightweightvariantwith a specific checkering style on the stock and a scannable forearm;Super Grade with fancy walnut, ebony forearm tip, and jeweled bolt; SuperGrade Featherweight; Super Grade African with express iron sights andchamberedinbigborecalibers;aVarmintgradewithaheavy26-inchbarrel;andAlaskangrade.CompetitionmodelsincludedaNationalMatch,Target,andBullGunallwithheavy,stoutbarrels.Acarbinevariantwitha20-inchbarrelwasalsooffered between 1936 and 1946 though Winchester never officially used the“carbine” nomenclature. TheModel 70was advertised as the “rifleman’s rifle”andthatnametook.Chamberedincalibersthatrangefromthepuny.22Hornettothemighty.458WinchesterMagnum,theModel70plieditstradeongopher-

topachyderm-sizedgame.

DuringWorldWarIItheMarineswereinneedofasniperrifleandusedModel70 rifles theyhad intended for training.Combatandenvironmentarehardonrifles and the Model 70 was reconditioned with different stocks to betterperform. When the Marines began looking at a dedicated sniper rifle, whichwouldbecome theM40, theydeep sixed theModel70as thepush feedmodelwas then being built. TheMarines opted to start the build using aRemingtonModel700action.

TheModel70wasproducedinNewHaven,Connecticut,forsomeseventyyearswith production stopping in 2006—abad day inNewHaven—but starting upagainsouthoftheMason-DixonlineinColumbia,SouthCarolina,in2008.Deerand elk hunters are just happy the Model 70 is back with control feed asoriginallydesigned.

ExampleofanolderWinchesterModel70SuperGradewithfancywalnut,ebonytipforearm,andjeweledbolt.CourtesyBishopsFineGuns.

ThecurrentModel70Featherweighthasadistinctlookingstockandofferslessweightforeaseinhandling.

Anadvertisementfromthe1970sworkedthe“Rifleman’srifle”tagline.

In1952Winchesterwasproducingtwoofthemostpopulardeerriflesofthetime,theModel70bolt-actionandModel94lever-action.

Jack’sRifleJack O’Connor hunted a Model 70 in .270 Winchester over numerouscontinents.O’Connorevangelized theModel70 in thepagesofOutdoorLifeandhisnumerousbooksabouthisexploitswiththeModel70.Hisstoriesaregreat hunting literature. InTheArt ofHuntingBigGame inNorthAmerica,O’Connerwrote“. . .wheneverIgoout for thenobleramsI’ll takeoneofamatched pair of Model 70 Winchester featherweights in .270 caliber.”O’ConnorusedaRedfieldBearCub4xscopeononeandaLeupold4xontheother.Hecouldtakeshotsouttofourhundredyardswiththeseset-ups.WhenO’Connor was told the Model 70 was going to be redesigned, he said hewanted to buy four or five of the older model. And when he saw the newModel70prototype,thepushfeedmodel,hesaiditwasoneoftheugliestrifleshe had ever seen and itwouldn’t sell.Winchester took some ofO’Connor’ssuggestionsandO’Connorendedupchanginghismindabouttherifle.

Jack O’Connor and his son Brad at a successful moose hunt in British Columbia. Courtesy JackO’ConnorHuntingHeritageandEducationCenter;jack-oconnor.org.

The old man and his sheep, O’Connor hunted sheep with a pair of Winchester Model 70s bothchamberedin.270Winchester.CourtesyJackO’ConnorHuntingHeritageandEducationCenter;jack-oconnor.org.

MakeshiftSniperRifleDuringWorldWar II theMarineshadModel 70 riflesonhand for trainingbutcalledtheriflesintoserviceinthePacificTheater.TheywerealsousedintheKoreanWar.Theywerechamberedin.30-06witha24-inch,hunting-styletaperbarrel.AfterKorea,manyoftherifleswerereconditionedwithaheavierbarrelandthestockswerealsobeddedtofreefloatthebarreltoaidaccuracy.Unertl8xpowerscope,thehigh-techopticoftheday,wastypicallymountedon theModel 70s.During theVietnamWar these reconditionedModel 70swereissuedtosniperslikelegendaryMarinesniperGunnerySergeantCarlosHathcock.HathcockusedaModel70 tokillaNorthVietnamesesniper inafamousshot.Hekilledtheenemysniperbyshootinghimintheeyethroughtheriflescopeoftheenemysniper.

HereaMarinesniperplieshistradewithaModel70setupforsniperwork.

IthacaModel37

FeatherlightandDeerslayerBottomShuckerProduced:1937–PresentIn parts of upstate New York, I’ve hunted with a number of folks who onlycarriedIthacaModel37s,whethertheywerehuntingduck,grouse,ordeer.TheIthacaModel 37 in themid-twentieth century had a strong following, and forgoodreason.Itworkedwellforeitherright-orleft-handedshooterssinceemptyshellsareejectedfromthebottomofthereceiver.Thepump-actionwassmoothandFeatherlightmodelsareeasytocarryalldaybirdhunting,sincethereceiverismachinedfromaluminum.TheDeerslayermodelscandoexactlythatandarenearlyasaccurateasarifleduetothefactthebarreltoreceiverfitisstrongandtrue;plusthebarrelisfullyrifled.TheDeerslayerIIImodelboastsaccuracyouttotwohundredyards.TrapshootersalsolikethispumpespeciallywithaMonteCarlo style stock and 30-inch vent rib barrel. During World War II trenchmodels were used. Even during the Vietnam War parkerized variants of theModel37wereused.LawenforcementcirclesalsousedtheModel37withspecialLE models built in the 1960s. New York City and Los Angeles policedepartmentsbothusedtheModel37.ButtheshotgunreallyshinedinthehandsofhunterssincetheGreatDepression.

Originally theModel 37wasmanufactured in Ithaca,NewYork, but over theyears the company reorganized and locations changed. In 1987 theModel 37namewaschanged to theModel87,and justwhen theModel37wasabout tofade from memory the brand was revived in Sandusky, Ohio, and the namechangedbacktotheModel37.

TheModel37isbasedontheRemingtonModel17designedbyJohnBrowningand JohnPedersen.When the patents expired on theRemingtonModel 17 in1937,IthacadebutedtheModel37,andithasthedistinctionofbeingthelongestproductionrun forapump-actionshotgun.Thedesign isunique in that shellsare loaded or ejected from the bottom of the receiver. This makes the gunsuitable for left-or right-handed shooters. Plus it means the mechanism is

protected from the elements. Unlike many current pump-action andsemiautomatic shotguns in which the trigger assembly and other guts of themechanismareremoved fromthebottomof thereceiver,on theModel37 thetrigger, bolt assemblies, and carrier are removed from the rear of the receivernecessitatingremovalofthestock.ThisdesignmakestheModel37expensivetobuild, but those of us who have used the Model 37 know they are lithe andimmenselypointable.SometwomillionandcountingModel37shavebeenbuilt.Ihavea16-gaugewithastraightEnglishstylegripstock.Iwouldn’ttradeitfortheworld.

Specifications

GAUGE:.410,28,20,16,12(3-in.chamber)

BARRELLENGTH:18.5(trench/riotvariants);24,26,28or30inches(commercialvariants)OALENGTH:47.6inches(28-in.barrel,12-gauge)

WEIGHT:7.6lbs.(28-in.barrel,12-gauge)

STOCK:Checkeredfancyblackwalnut(Featherweight)

SIGHTS:TruGlofront,metalbeadmidrib(Featherweight)

ACTION:Pump-action

FINISH:Mattebluereceiver/barrel

CAPACITY:4+1

Model 37s have always had a classic game scene engraving on the receiver; this is the engraving from acurrent28-gaugemodel.CourtesyIthacaGunCompany.

ThecurrentModel37Featherlightmodelhasnotchangedmuchsinceitwasintroduced;whychangeifyoudon’thaveto?

The20-gaugeUltrafeatherlighttippedthescalesatfivepoundsagenerationago,sameasitdoestoday.

WaltherP38

FirstMilitaryDouble-ActionPistolProduced:1939–1945,1957–2000(P1variant)The P38 was the first pistol designed by Walther to fire the 9mm cartridge.Developedas replacement for theLugerP08, theP38wasdesigned for easeofproductionusingstampedsteel, alloy steels,andcompositegrips.TheGermanmilitarieswantedamass-producedpistolthatwasreliable,rugged,andsuitedforcombat. The P38 was the answer. Though it was designed for ease inmanufacturing,thedesignwascuttingedgein1938.ManymodernpistoldesignsusefeaturesthatwereemployedontheP38.

TheP38wasthefirstcombatpistoltouseacombinationoffeaturesstartingwiththepivoting,lockingboltshort-recoilaction.Whenthepistolisfiredthebarreland slidemove rearward in a linear fashion—the barrel does not tilt like in a1911,SIG,Glock,orotherBrowning typeaction.Thenthe lockingblockstopsthebarrelmovementbutallowstheslidetogorearwardtoejecta firedcase, itcocksbacktheexposedhammer,andtwinrecoilspringsbringtheslideforwardtochamberaround.

Other modern features found on the P38 include the double-/single-actiontriggermechanism.Thepistolcanbesafelycarriedwitharoundinthechamberandthehammerdownallowingtheoperatortopullthetriggerindouble-actiontofirethepistol.Subsequentshotsarefiredsingle-action.Thesafetyleverlocatedontheleftsideoftheslideissweptdownwardtoputthepistolon“S”or“safe”orpushed forward toexposean“F” for “fire.”When the lever isplacedon“safe”with the hammer cocked, the lever decocks the hammer.The loaded chamberindicatorisapinthatprotrudesfromthetoprearoftheslidetogivetheoperatortactileandvisualindicationthataroundisinthechamber.TheP38alsousesanopenslidedesignforwardofthebreechfacesoejectionofemptycasesismorereliable.TheBeretta 92FS and currentUSArmy issueM9utilizesnearly all ofthesedesigncharacteristics.Sincethegripsmeettoformthebackstrap,lessmetalwas required to build the pistol,making it lightweight. The sights on the P38

werelargeandwelldefinedasoneexpectsonacurrentcombatpistol.

Specifications

CALIBER:9mm

BARRELLENGTH:4.9inches

OALENGTH:8.5inches

WEIGHT:28ounces(unloaded)

STOCK:RibbedBakelite

SIGHTS:Fixed,notchrear/bladefront

ACTION:Shortrecoil,lockedbreech,semiautomatic

FINISH:Matteblue

CAPACITY:8+1

OveronemillionP38swereproducedby theendof thewar in1945.Walther,Mauser, and Spreewerk allmanufactured the pistol during thewar.Collectorsnote thatmarkingswith “ac” indicated a pistol produced byWalther.Mauserguns used either “byf” or “svw” codes. All Spreewerk guns are identified by“cyq.”

AfterthewartheP38continuedtoserveintheGermanarmyandpolice,aswellasotherarmiesandlawenforcementagenciesaroundtheworlduntil1992.Thebalance, accuracy, reliability, and safety features of the P38 and P1 werelegendary.

ApristineexampleofaWWII-eraWaltherP38withissueholster.CourtesyBishopsFineGuns.

PostwarP1Postwar pistols differ from wartime specimens, since an aluminum framereplaced the steel frame models built during World War II, among otherminor design changes. The newWalther was designated the P1 in 1957. In1972 a design change included a steel hex bolt to reinforce the aluminumframe.TheP1wasinservicewiththeGermanBundeswehrfrom1957throughabout 1992. Commercial variants were available in .22 LR, .30 Luger, and9mm.TheP1 came standardwithblack checkeredgrips.LargequantitiesofP38sthathadbeencapturedbytheSovietsduringthewarwereimportedintotheUnitedStatesin1990s;mostofthesepistolswereinspectedandrefinishedattheIzhevskMechanicalPlantinRussia.

TheP38wasaleapintechnologyandmanufacturingcomparedtotheP08Lugeritreplaced.CourtesyBishopsFineGuns.

Thispost-warP38iselaboratelyengravedwithaGermanoakleafpatternandsportscheckeredwalnutgrips.CourtesyBishopsFineGuns.

Beretta92TheBeretta 92wasofficially adoptedby theUSMilitary in 1985 as theM9.The92wasdesignedin1972andproducedcontinuouslyfrom1975inmany

model versions and calibers. Its origins are from early-twentieth-centuryBerettaswhereitreceiveditscharacteristicopenslidedesign.ItborrowedthealloyframeandlockingblockbarrelamongotherfeaturesfromtheWWIIeraWaltherP38.UncleSamboughtover300,000pistolsinthefirstcontractworthabout$75milliondollars.By2009another450,000pistolswereorderedbythegovernmentalongwithsparepartsmakingthe$220milliondealthelargestUSMilitarypistolcontractawardedsinceWWII.TheMarinesvariantiscalledtheM9A1. After 30 years of US Military service starting in conflicts like theInvasionofPanamato therecentWar inAfghanistan theM9hasproven itsworth.

The sight systemon theM9 isdot-and-post style.Barrel length is 4.9 inches.Magazine capacity is 15rounds.

TheM9,likeall92variants,hasanexternalhammerthatcanbethumbedbackforasingle-actiontriggerpull.Italsooperatesindouble-action.

TheMarines’M9A1wasupgradedwithaPicatinnyMIL-STD-1913accessoryrailtoattachtacticallightsandlaseraimingdevices.Themagazinewellwasaggressivelybeveledtoassistfastreloads.

POST-WAR

MarlinModel336

TheOtherLever-ActionRifleProduced:1948–PresentIftwolever-actionrifleseverhadarivalry,itwouldbetheWinchester94andtheMarlinModel 336. The rivalry started back in late 1890s. The sad fact is theModel336hasalwaysplayedsecondfiddletotheWinchester94,butwhatmostdeerandblackbearhuntershaveknownsince1948istheMarlinisasimplerandmore rugged lever-action beast basher.A rite of passage for young hunters indeercampistheabilitytosilentlycockthehammeronalever-actionrifle.Moreoftenthannotit’swithaMarlin.

TheMarlin 336descended from theModel 1893, then theModel 36.Marlin’slever-action rifles—the 36 and 336—competed head-to-head with theWinchester 94. The Marlin’s side ejection easily allows mounting of optics,unliketheWinchester94,whichhastopejection.The336isalsoslightlyheaviermaking the felt recoil from the .30-30 round—the most popular caliber—lessnoticeable. It is also more accurate than the Model 94 due to that heavierreceiver.TheleverdesignoftheModel336isalsosimplertodisassemblethanaModel94.Thesuccessofthisrifleiseasilyexplainedbythenumbersproduced;over six million 336 rifles have been built since it was introduced. It is thenumber two all-time selling American high-power sporting rifle. Yes, theWinchesterModel94rifleisfirst.

Inthe1950sMarlinintroducedMicro-Grooveriflingforjacketedbullets,whichusemany shallow grooves rather than the fewer deeper grooves of traditionalrifling.The336usesareceivermadeofforgedsteelandaroundprofileboltthatis chrome plated. It also incorporates use of coil springs in lieu of flat bladesprings.

NumerousMarlin rifles have been built using the 336 receiver, including theXLR series with a 24-inch barrel and chambered in .308Marlin Express, .338MarlinExpress,or.444Marlin;themodel1896in.45-70;andthepopularGuideGunswithshortbarrelschamberedin.45-70andabiglooplever.The336rifleswere also built under other names like Glenfield or Glenfield-Marlin fornumerousbig-boxstoreslikeWal-Mart,Sears,WesternAuto,andothers.Todaysomeofthebig-boxstoresstilldoabriskbusinessintheModel336comedeerseason.Yougetyourchoiceofeither.30-30or.35Remington.Atonetimethe336waschamberedin.219Zipper,.32Special,.44Magnum,and.410shotbore.Thereisalsoastainlessmodelforyounon-traditionalists.

Specifications

CALIBER:.30-30Winchester,.35Remington(currentmodels)BARRELLENGTH:18or20inches(currentmodels)WEIGHT:7to7.5pounds(dependingonbarrellength/caliber)STOCK:CheckeredAmericanblackwalnut(mostcommon)orlaminatehardwoodSIGHTS:Adjustablesemi-buckhornrear/hoodedbeadrampfrontACTION:Lever-action,exposedhammer

FINISH:Bluedorstainless

CAPACITY:6-roundtubularmagazine

MyfirstdeerriflewasaModel336withahalfmagazinetubechamberedin.35Remington.FromMainetoupstateNewYork,therifleneverfailedme,andthatbig.35Remingtonbulletmakesabigholesotrackingiseasy.Enoughsaid.

Marlin’sadsafewdecadesagocuttothechase:theModel336“putsmeatinthefreezer.”

Thismaybetheperfectset-upinadeerrifle,ascoped336withsling,becauseit’seasiertodragoutwhenyourriflehasasling.

GuideGunsTheModel1895SBLstartsoffwitha336receiverinstainlesssteelandaddsastubby18.5-inchbarrelchamberedin.45-70Gov’tandabigloopleverfittedon the underside. The XS Ghost Ring Sight offers fast aiming, or you canmount a scope on the Weaver-style rail. Use it for deer, pigs, black bear,moose, elk—whatever. Since 1998Marlin has beenmaking these short, fasthandlingleveractions.Ithasbecomecoolagaintohuntwitharifleyourgreat-granddadused.

TheGuideGunserieslikethisModel1895SBLisstateoftheartlever-actionfirepower.

AK-47

MostWidelyProducedandUsedCombatRifleProduced:1949–1959TheAK-47 is foundeverywhere. It is themost commonand themost reliablecombatrifleeverdesigned.Overfivehundredmillionhavebeenmanufactured,andthoughthenewervariantshavereplaced it insomepartsof theworld, theAK-47isstilltheking—orshouldIsaytsar—ofcombatrifles.Asmuchasymbolofrebellionasitisasymbolofrepression,theAK-47wasbornofwarandSovietengineering.

In the last year ofWorldWar IIMikhail Kalashnikov began designing a newbattlerifle,andin1946hesubmittedittotheSovietArmyforfieldtrials.In1949theriflewasadoptedastheAvtomatKalashnikovaorasitiscommonlyknownthe AK, Kalash, or Kalashnikov. The rifle is renown for reliability under anycondition—snow,sand,seawater,highhumidity—aswellasbeinginexpensivetoproduce. It is simple to operate andwill run even if it is dirty. Likewise, it issimple to disassemble and reassemble. The effective range is out to 380 yards,anddependingonwhatcountrymanufacturedtherifle,ithasaservicelifeuptofifteenthousandrounds.

TowardtheendofWorldWarIItheGermanshaddevelopedatotallynewstyleofweapon—the StG 44, orSturmgewehr44, which translated as “Assault Rifle44.”TheStG44isconsideredthefirstmodernassaultrifle,andtheAK-47wasgreatly influenced by it. Both use an intermediate rifle round, a high-capacitymagazine, andgasoperating system, toname just a few similar features.WhattheStG44offered theoperatorwas increasedvolumeof firepowerandgreaterrange than a submachine gun, yet it was lighter and had less recoil than anycombatrifleofthetime.TheKalashnikovusesalong-strokegassystem.Whenaroundisfired,gasfromtheburningpowderissyphonedoutofthebarrelviaaport toapistonabove thebarrel.Thepiston isdrivenback tooperate theboltcarrier, eject the empty cartridge case, and cock the weapon; a recoil springdrives the bolt carrier forward, scraping a round out of the magazine and

slamming it home into the chamber. Efficient and utterly reliable. TheAmerican-madeM1Garandusedasimilarsystem.

ThestockontheAK-47comesineitherafixedwoodvariantorafoldingmetalstock.Thepistolgripoffersgoodergonomicsforcomfortableshootingandthecharacteristic curved magazine holds 30 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition.Original AK-47s used a machined receiver, though the design called for astampedreceiver.Atthetimeoffirstproductionsteelstampingmachinesneededtomake the receiverswere in low supply somachined receiverswereused. In1959 the AKM (Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanniy), or (literallytranslated)AutomaticKalashnikovModernized,wasproducedusingastampedsheet steel receiver. The AKMs also feature a slantedmuzzle brake and otherslightdesignmodifications.

Specifications

CALIBER:7.62x39mm

BARRELLENGTH:16.3inches

OALENGTH:35inches

WEIGHT:9.5pounds(unloaded)

STOCK:Smoothwood

SIGHTS:Adjustablerear/wingedfrontpost

ACTION:Gas-operatedpiston/rotatingbolt,selectfireFINISH:Blued

CAPACITY:30-rounddetachableboxmagazineEFFECTIVERANGE:380yards

In formerEasternBlockcountries likePoland,Albania,Ukraine,andBulgaria,licensed versions of the AK were produced; versions also appeared in China,NorthKorea,Pakistan, andmanyAfrican andSouthAmerican countries.Thequalityoftherifleisgreatlydependentonthecountryinwhichitwasproduced.

TheubiquitousAK-47isfoundwhereverconflictorrebelliongrows;theseareAK-47riflesseizedinIraq.CourtesyUSArmy.

RussiantroopscarryamodernversionoftheAK-47,designatedtheAK-74.

Commercially in the United States, semiautomatic AKs are imported andremanufactured to make them 922(r) compliant under United States Code.Though the AK is by no means a tack driver, it is a fairly accurate weaponcapableofaveraging4–5MOAatonehundredyards.The7.62x39mmroundhassimilarballisticsasthe.30-30Winchesterround.

The5.45x39caliberSLR-104FR, imported fromBulgariaandremanufacturedbyArsenal Inc., isaclassicexampleofasemiautomaticmodernsportingriflemodeledaftertheAK-74pattern.

922(r)-CompliantforDummiesForasemiautomaticweapontobecompliantunder18USCode§922(r),theweapon—rifleorshotgun—mustnothavemorethantenimportedpartsoutofalistoftwentypartsspecifiedbythecode.Thetwentypartsspecifiedinclude:1.Frames,receivers,receivercastings,forgings,orstampings2.Barrels3.Barrelextensions4.Mountingblocks(trunnions)5.Muzzleattachments6.Bolts7.Boltcarriers8.Operatingrods9.Gaspistons10.Triggerhousings11.Triggers12.Hammers13.Sears14.Disconnectors15.Buttstocks16.Pistolgrips17.Forearms,handguards18.Magazinebodies19.Followers

20.Floorplates

AK-74VariantTheAKMwas replacedby theAK-74 in1974,hence thenomenclature.TheAK-74isanadaptationoftheAKMthatusesasmaller5.45x39mmcartridge,whichprovidesbetterrangeandaccuracy.TheAKMandAK-74shareabout50 percent of the same parts. This rifle was first used by the Soviets in theSovietWarinAfghanistanandhasbeenusedbytheRussianseversince.

ThisRussianmarinewieldsanAK-74.

RugerMarkI

Everyman’s.22PistolProduced:1949–PresentA .22 rimfire pistol was part of every sportsman’s kit in the mid-twentiethcentury. The Colt Woodsman competed with High Standard models like theOlympic, Supermatic, Field-King, and others. Asmuch as the shooting publicliked .22 LR semiautomatic pistols, these pistols were becoming increasinglyexpensive to produce. Bill Ruger, part inventor, part self-taught engineer, andfirearmenthusiast,hadan idea tomakean inexpensive .22pistol that stillhadthequalityoftheColtandHighStandardpistols.HisideabecametheStandardpistol, and it went on to become one of the bestselling andmost popular .22pistolsevermanufactured.

The Standard pistol andMark I pistol trace their lineage back to Bill Ruger’sgarage in 1949, when he duplicated a Japanese Baby Nambu pistol that a USMarine acquired as a souvenir duringWorldWar II. Ruger tweaked the boltsystem from theNambu, got together some venture capital fromAlex Sturm,andstartedbuildingandsellinga.22rimfirepistolin1949thatcost$37.50.Youcouldorderonebymailat the time.Shooters liked thenostalgicstyle thatwassimilartotheiconicLugerP08.

TheStandardwas the firstRuger rimfirepistol tobe introduced,and itusedanovelmanufacturing process.The framewasmade of two stamped steel sheetpieces welded together with a cylindrical bolt located inside the frame. Thecylindricalbolt systemensuresbetter alignment thanconventional slidepistolsthereby giving the pistol better accuracy. The pistol uses a simple blow-backmechanism.Firearoundandtheforcepushesbackthebolt toejecttheemptycaseandcockthehammer,andtherecoilspringdrivestheboltforwardgrabbingaroundoutofthemagazineandslammingitintothechamber.

TheStandardinstantlybecameaplinker’sfavoritegun.TheMarkITargetbegansellingin1951for$57.50.Ithadalonger6.875-inchbarrelandanadjustablerear

sightwithafrontbladesightundercutforlessglare.Nowtargetshootershadaninexpensive entry pistol for small-bore pistol competition. Since that time theStandardpistolevolvedtotheMKIIin1982andlatertheMKIII,whichfeaturesaloadedchamberindicator,magazinereleasebehindthetriggerguard,magazinedisconnectsafety,andotherdetails.TheMKIII22/45modelsuseapolymergripframewiththesamegripangleasa1911pistol.

Manysportsmenfoundanadlikethisinthebackofhuntingandfishingmagazinesstartingin1949.

TheRugerStandardandMarkIstresseditsqualityandlowprice.

Ruger had the .22 rimfire handgun market covered with semiautomatic and revolver models at a veryreasonableprice.

HighStandardwasoneofthepreeminent.22rimfirehandgunmanufacturersinthemid-twentiethcenturywithavarietyofmodels,asthis1956addisplays.

If there is any complaint about these pistols, it arises from the disassembly

procedure—sortofapuzzle.Bepatient thefirst fewtimes.Astheysaypracticemakesperfect.

The Mark III is the most current model, featuring a thumb-actuated magazine release, magazinedisconnector,andloadedchamberindicator.

ColtWoodsmanIftheRugerStandardandMarkIweretheeveryman’s.22pistol,thentheColtWoodsmanwasthe.22pistolmostaspiredtoown.Manufacturedfrom1915through1977,theWoodsmanevolvedoverthedecadesuntiltherewasnaryacamperorhikerwhodidn’townorwanttoownaWoodsman.TheStandardmodelhada6.5-in.barrel,andtheSportmodelhada4.5-inchbarrel.ErnestHemingwayhadWoodsman,andusedittokillmarlinbeforebringingthefishonboard.

A first issue ColtWoodsman Standardmodel was a simple design that was built on a forged frame.CourtesyBishopsFineGuns.

Specifications

CALIBER:.22LR

BARRELLENGTH:4.75inches

OALENGTH:9inches

WEIGHT:35ounces(unloaded)

STOCK:Checkeredpolymer

SIGHTS:Fixed,notchrear/bladefront

ACTION:Blowback,semiautomatic

FINISH:Blue

CAPACITY:9+1

RemingtonModel870

GreatestPumpShotgunEverProduced:1950–PresentTheRemingtonModel870pump-actionshotgunhassoldovertenmillionandcounting. It isversatile—theassortmentofbarrels ranges from longgooseguntubes to short home defenders—and it is reliable. It helps that the 870’s goodlooksandeaseofhandling—theycallitWingmasterforareason—helpmakeitAmerica’sgreatestpumpshotgun.

Birdandduckhuntersalikeappreciatethe870.Swapoutthebirdbarrelforonethatisrifledandhasironsights,andacantileverrailforascope,andyouhaveagooddeergun.ManylawenforcementandmilitaryagenciesworldwideusetheRemington870.Millionshavebeenproducedandsoldforgoodreason.

LikemanyRemingtonfirearms,theideabehindtheModel870wastoproduceamorecosteffectivealternativetotheRemingtonModel31.ThoughtheModel31was popular with hunters and clay shooters, the firearm required extensivemachining. It was costly to produce and it competed against the WinchesterModel 12, another extremely popular pump at the time. When the 870 wasintroduced,itofferedamoremodern,streamlinedlook.The870wasalsobuilttotake abuse and be reliable.Accidentally drop an 870 in a swampoutside yourduckblindorforgetitinthepickuptruckbedasyoubumpalongadirtroadat50mph,anditwillstillworkeverytime.LawenforcementagenciesliketheFBI,California Highway Patrol, Pennsylvania State Police, US Border Patrol, USSecretService,andbranchesoftheUSMilitaryalluseoneformoranotheroftheModel870.

The870pump-action incorporatesdual-actionbars for anon-binding smoothpump.Shellsareloadedfromthebottomofthereceiverintoatubularmagazineunder the barrel. The receivers are sized for 12-gauge and 20-gauge; 16-gaugemodelsusedthe12-gaugesizereceiver,andsmallgaugeslike.410and28usethe20-gaugereceiver.The870isalsooneofthoseshotgunsthattransitionedfrom

fixed choke barrels to barrels that usemulti-choke tubes. In 1986 RemingtonintroducedtheRemChokesystemofscrew-inchoketubes.

AmemberoftheMaritimeSafetyandSecurityteamwieldsatactical870.

The versatility of the Model 870 (from top to bottom) Express Deer gun; Super Magnum for geese;Wingmasterforuplandbirds;ExpressTacticalforLE,military,orhomedefense;andSuperMagnumwithreddotsightforturkeyhunting.

TherearenumerousvariantsoftheModel870forhunters,fromtheplain-JaneExpress variant with matte blue and hardwood or synthetic stock to theWingmasterwithadeepbluemetalfinishandwalnutstock.OnthetacticalendofthespectrumistheModel870ExpressTactical,outfittedwitheitherMagpulorBlackhawkstocksandforendstotheSPSMarineMagnumwithanelectrolysisnickelplatingonthemetalandsyntheticstock.

The ability to easily replace the barrel for different uses means the 870 was

extremely versatile compared to the other pump guns of the day. It was alsoinexpensive. For over sixty-five years the 870 has set the benchmark forinexpensivereliablepumpguns.

Specifications

GAUGE:12,16,20,28,.410

BARRELLENGTH:18to30inches

OALENGTH:48.5inches(28-in.barrel,12-gauge)WEIGHT:7.5lbs.(28-in.barrel,12-gauge)STOCK:Glossywalnutorsynthetic

SIGHTS:HiVizormetalbeadfront,metalbeadmidribACTION:Pump-action

FINISH:Blued,nickel,MossyOakcamoormattebluereceiver/blued,camoormattebluebarrelCAPACITY:4+1(3+1forExpressvariantsusing3-1/2-in.shells)

AmagazineadfromlastcenturydepictingtheWingmasterasthebestpumpshotgunfortheprice.

RugerSingle-Six

BuildingaBetterSingle-ActionRevolverProduced:1953–PresentThereprobablyisn’taplinkerinAmericawhohasn’tfiredaRugerSingle-Sixorone of itsmany variants. Tens of thousands of these small SA revolvers havebeenproducedsince1953.Backinthe1950speoplehuddledaroundtheTVwithanticipation to watch Wagon Train, Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger,Rawhide,andnumerousothers.CowboyTVshowswerebigbackthen,andBillRugerhadabigidea:Whynotproduceacowboy-stylegun?TheSingle-Sixwasarevolvertomeetthatdemand,andit(anditsmanyvariants)haveproventobeatremendoussuccess.Fromplinkerstosmallgamehunters,theSingle-Sixisafunandsafesingle-actionrevolverthatisbuilttolastmanytripstothelocalsandpitto plink tin cans or travel on a hunter’s hip in search of bushy-tail squirrels.What makes these such popular revolvers are calibers—mostly inexpensiverimfirecaliberslike.17HMR,.22LR,and.22WMR.Lowrecoil,goodaccuracy,and inexpensive cartridges means these revolvers are shot a lot and are greatgunstointroducetonewshooters.

TheoriginalSingle-SixusedamechanismsimilartothatoftheColtSAA.Itwasa six-shot single-action revolver with no safety. These are referred to as “oldmodels”or“threescrewmodels,”sincetheyusedthreescrewsintheframe.OneoftheColtSAA’sweaknessesistheuseofflatsprings.BillRugerusedmusicwirecoil springs in his Single-Six to make the revolvers more reliable. The firstmodels had a flat loading gate but that was changed to the Colt SAA-styleloadinggatearound1957.Originalshada5.5-inchbarrelandusedanalloygripframe.CollectorscalltheseXR3gripframes.Chamberedin.22LR—italsocoulduse.22Shortand.22Longcartridges—theSingle-SixhadblackcheckeredrubbergripswithablackRugerlogomedallion.Therearsightwasdriftadjustableandthefinishwasblue.

This ad from 1958 stressed the quality and workmanship of the Single-Six and the new patent Rugermechanism.

From1953 the Single-Six advertisements stressed the classic style and themodern improvements of thissingle-actionrevolver.

Instainlesssteelthissingle-actionrevolveroffersgreatlooksandreliability.

In1973themechanismoftheSingle-Sixwasmodifiedtoincorporateatransferbar. Another weakness in the Colt SAA is the lack of any safety. The OldModel/ThreeScrewSingle-Sixwasbest carried loadedwith five cartridges andthehammerrestingonanemptychamberlikeaColtSAA.Thenewmechanismplacedatransferbarbetweenthehammerandthefiringpinattheexactmomentthe trigger is fully pulled to the rear. Thus the hammer hits the transfer bar,which in turn transfers the blow to the firing pin to discharge the gun. TheserevolversarereferredtoasNewModelSingle-Six.

Currentmodel variants include a centerfire option chambered in .327 FederalMagnum.Over the years the Single-Six has also been chambered in .32H&RMagnum,buttomostit isarimfire.ASingle-Ninevariantischamberedin.22WMR, and a Single-Ten squeezes ten .22 LR chambers in the revolver. TheConvertiblemodelsoffertwocylinders,onechamberedin.22LRandtheotherin.22WMR.Swappingcylinderstakessecondsandoffersmorepowerinthe.22WMR.AHuntermodelwitha7.5-inchbarrelissetuptoeasilymountascopeorareddotsight.

Specifications

CALIBER:.17HMR,.22LR,.22WMR,.32H&RMagnum,and.327FederalMagnumBARRELLENGTH:4.63,5.5,6.5,7.5,and9.5inchesOALENGTH:11inches(5.5-inchbarrel)

WEIGHT:33ounces(5.5-inchbarrel/blued),39ounces(5.5-inchbarrel/stainless)STOCK:SmoothhardwoodorcheckeredhardrubberSIGHTS:Adjustablerear/fixedrampfront

ACTION:Single-action

FINISH:Bluedorstainlesssteel

CAPACITY:6,7(.327FederalMagnum),9(Single-Nine),10(Single-Ten)

RugerBearcatSmall,lightweight,andchamberedin.22LR,theRugerBearcathasbeenusedby hunters, hikers, and campers since 1958. A cougar and a bear are roll-engraved on the unfluted cylinder. Like the Single-Six, the Bearcat hasundergonedesignchangesovertheyears.TheBearcat3rdIssueincorporatesthesafety transferbar.TheBearcatdesign isbasedon theclassicRemingtonModel 1875 andModel 1890 revolvers. Bill Ruger liked old guns, and it isevidentinmanyofhisdesigns.

The New Bearcat is the current diminutive variant being produced in both stainless steel and bluedfinish,bothwithdecorativecylinderengraving.

ColtPython

CadillacofAmericanRevolversProduced:1955–2005TheColtPythonisoneofthefinestproductionrevolverseverbuilt.Hand-fittedwith the actionhoned, thePythonwasknown for its accuracy, smooth triggerpull, and tight lock-up.When itdebuted in1955 itwas an immediate success.Notonlywastheactionexceptionallysmooth,therevolverincorporatedfeatures—likeafull-lengthlugunderthebarrel,excellentadjustablesights,andtheframesize—thataretodaystandardinmanyrevolvers.TheSmith&WessonL-frameisvery close to the Python’s I-frame. Like all Colts, the cylinder rotates into theframetomakethecylinder-to-frame lockupstronger.Bycontrast thecylindersof Smith & Wesson revolvers rotate counterclockwise. The finish choicesincludedapolishedRoyalBluethatsetthebenchmarkinsteelbluefinish.Nickelandstainlesssteelwerealsooffered.

Chambered in .357 Magnum the revolver had enough heft so felt recoil wastolerable.While the short-barrel variants were in the holsters of lawmen, thelonger-barreledmodelswereusedbytargetshootersandhunters.Collectorsandshooterscovettheserevolvers.Ifyoufindone,evenifitisabeater,itwillmostlikelybebetterthananythingnewyoucanbuytoday.NowondertheyhavebeencalledtheRollsRoyceorCadillacofrevolvers.

Specifications

CALIBER:.357Magnum

BARRELLENGTH:2.5,3,4(mostcommon),6,and8inchesOALENGTH:9.5inches(4-inchbarrel)

WEIGHT:43.2ounces(4-inchbarrel,unloaded)STOCK:CheckeredwalnutortexturedrubberSIGHTS:Adjustablerear/rampfront

ACTION:Single/double-action

FINISH:Blue(mostcommon),nickel,orstainlessCAPACITY:6

Nolie,thePythonwascomparedtotheCadillacinthis1956ad.

Thestainlesssteelmodelswereproducedfrom1983through2006;thisonesportsa6-inchbarrel.

The 8-inch barrel models like this one with a nickel finish were used for target shooting and hunting.CourtesyBishopsFineGuns.

This4-inchbarrelmodelshowsthefineColtRoyalBluefinish.CourtesyStephenZ.

ThePythonwasn’tthefirstColtrevolvertouseasnakename;othermodelswerecalledAnaconda,Viper,Cobra,andDiamondback.

Smith&WessonModel29

“TheMostPowerfulHandgunintheWorld”Produced:1955–PresentWhat Ian Fleming’s James Bond character did for the Walther PPK, ClintEastwood’sDirtyHarryseriesofmoviesdidfortheSmith&WessonModel29.Itelevatedarevolvermostshootershadalreadyknownaboutandadmiredintoapopcultureicon.I’msureElmerKeith,theoriginalpersontopushfortheModel29and.44Magnum,gavetwohootsaboutDirtyHarry.

Therevolverthatmadeeveryone’sdaywasbuiltonSmith&Wesson’sN-frame.The N-frame was used to produce the first .357 Magnum revolver in 1935,known as the RegisteredMagnum. S&W chose to chamber the powerful .357Magnum cartridge in a six-shot revolver built from this large, heavy-dutycarbon-steelN-frame.AlmostimmediatelytheRegisteredMagnumwasadoptedbytheKansasCityPoliceDepartment,andotherLEagenciessoonfollowed.Tosay the revolver and caliber combinationwas successful is an understatement.When introducedat theheightof theGreatDepression, therevolvercost sixtydollars and Smith&Wessonhad a hard time filling these special order items.The big N-frame had a pinned barrel, counter-bored cylinder chambers, andcheckeringacrossthetopstrapoftheframeandbarrel.

TheModel29revolverchamberedin.44Magnumandwitha6-inchbarrelisiconic.

Overtheyearstherevolverwentthroughseveralnamechanges.Inthelate1930sthemodel namewas changed to “.357Magnum.” Eventually itwould becomeknownastheModel27whenS&Wstartedtousenumericmodelnamesinthemid-1950s.

GeneralGeorge S. Patton carried a .357Magnummodel and outfitted it withivory grips and a Tyler T-grip to fill that gap between the rear of the triggerguardandfrontstrap.Hecalledithis“killinggun.”Fromthe1940sthroughthe1960s,manyFBIagentsuseda3.5-inchbarrelmodel.J.EdgarHooverissaidtohave owned one of the first Registered Magnums. Noted gun writer SkeeterSkeltonwasknowntofavora5-inchmodel.

Keith,agunwriterandhandloader,hadbeenloadinghotcartridgesforthe.44Special and running them through his S&W Triple Locks, the nickname forS&W’s.44HandEjector1stModelNewCenturyrevolvers.Thenicknamecomesfromathirdlockinglugonthecrane.Theywerewellbuiltandmadetoshootbigbore.44Specialcartridges.Keithjuiceduphishandloadedcartridgesandfoundthe added power and performance made a great hunting round or goodprotectioninbearcountrywhendangerousgamewaspresent.The.44Magnumissimilartothe.44Special,exceptthe.44Magnumusesalongercaseformorepowder. TheModel 29was the revolverKeith cajoled out of S&Wexecutives,anditprovedtocompletelychangethenatureofthehandgunandrevolver.The

Model29and.44Magnumallowedhunterstohuntbiggamewithahandguninacaliberthatofferedaccuracyandexcellentdown-rangepower.LikeDirtyHarrysaidin1971:“...thisisthemostpowerfulhandgunintheworld....”

Specifications

CALIBER:.44Magnum

BARRELLENGTH:3,4,5,5.5,6.5,7.5,8.75,and10.62inchesOALENGTH:11inches(5.5-inchbarrel)

WEIGHT:33ounces(5.5-inchbarrel/blued),39ounces(5.5-inchbarrel/stainless)STOCK:SmoothhardwoodorcheckeredhardrubberSIGHTS:Adjustablerear/fixedrampfront

ACTION:Single-action

FINISH:Bluedorstainlesssteel

CAPACITY:6,7(.327FederalMagnum),9(Single-Nine),and10(Single-Ten)

BuffaloBoreloads.44MagnumcartridgesusingElmerKeith’sbulletdesign,a255-grainsemi-wadcutter.

KeithranhishandloadsthroughaS&WTripleLock.CourtesyHatchetfish.

S&W’sFive-ShotHandCannonThe S&WModel 500 debuted in 2003, replacing the Model 29 as top gunstatus.TheModel500ischamberedin.50S&W.Winchesterloads400-grainbulletswithamuzzlevelocityof1675fpsandmuzzleenergyof2877ft-lbs.Tocontain thisnuclearreaction,S&Wcameoutwith thesupersizedandsuper-strongX-frame.Therevolverishuge.There’sareasonsomemodelscomewithasling.

RugerBlackhawk

ABuilt-BetterSix-ShooterProduced:1955–PresentTheBlackhawkrodeintotownwhenGunsmoke,TheLoneRanger,Bonanza,andotherTVwesternswereonprimetime.Theexactdatewas1955.WithRuger’ssuccesswith the Single-Six .22 LR rimfire single-action revolver, the companydecided to sell centerfire single-action pistols. They sold bucketfuls of them.ThoughbasedontheColtSAA,theBlackhawkmadetherevolvermuchstrongerandaffordable.

TheBlackhawkandSingle-Sixwere,andstillare,themostrobustsingle-actionrevolversavailable.

Rugeruses an investment castmethod tomanufacturer thealloy steel cylinderframes, aluminumgrip frames, coiled springs throughout, andhammer-forgedbarrels. The first Blackhawks off the assembly line are referred to as Flattopmodelsbecausetheframestrapalongthetopofthecylinderwasflat.Thedesignwastweakedandthetopstrapwasbeefeduptohelpprotecttherearsight.These

single-actionsevolved intowhat iscalledthe“threescrew”models,whichusedthree screws in the sideof the frame.They are loaded like theColt SAA:withhammeronhalfcocktheloadinggateisopened,thenthecylinderrotatedtofillthefirstchamber,skipthenextchamber,andthenfilltheremainingchambers.It issafelycarriedwithhammerdownonanemptychamber.In1973theNewModelBlackhawkdebutedutilizinga transferbar thatprevents thepistol fromfiringaroundiftherevolverisdroppedonitshammer.ToloadtheNewModelBlackhawks only the loading gate needs to be opened to rotate and load thechambers. Thesemodel are also safe to carrywith all chambers loaded. Thesemodelscanbeidentifiedbythetwoscrewsinthesideoftheframe.

Specifications

CALIBER:.30Carbine,.327Fed.Mag.,.357Magnum,.357Rem.Mag.,.41Rem.Magnum,.44Special,.44Magnum,.45ColtBARRELLENGTH:4.62,5.5,6.6,7.5,or10.5inchesOALENGTH:13.38inches(7.5-inchbarrel)

WEIGHT:40ounces(7.5-inchbarrel)

STOCK:Smoothwoodorcheckeredrubber

SIGHTS:Adjustablerear/rampbladefront

ACTION:Single-action

FINISH:Bluedorstainless

CAPACITY:6

Inthe1950severyonewasgettingtheircowboyon;primetimeTVranaslewofWesterns.

TheinternalmechanismoftheBlackhawkisdifferent,usingmoderncoilspringsandhighstrengthalloys,thantheColtSAA.

Theflatbaroverthefiringpinisthetransferbar;itmovesupintopositionwhenthehammerisfullycockedandthetriggerispulled.

The Blackhawk is a robust revolver with excellent sights that is perfect forcowboyactionshooting,hunting,plinkingandprotectingtheranch.

TheOtherBlackhawksMechanically similar to the Blackhawk, the Blackhawk Bisley features adifferentgripshape.TheSuperBlackhawkischamberedin.44Magnumandisrecognizable due to its unfitted cylinder and squared off trigger guard. TheVaquero is similar to the New Model Blackhawk but the mechanisms aredifferentandtheydonotsharemanyparts.

FreedomArmsModel83

TheRugerSuperBlackhawkin.44Magnumisapowerfulpistolwithpowerfulrangeandpowerfulrecoil.Moreisbetter,astheysay,andtheFreedomArmsModel 83 is a five-shot single-action revolver chambered in .454 Casull—awristcracking,bonebustingcaliberthattookhandgunhuntingtonextlevel.

ThisFreedomArmsrevolverissetupforlongrangemetallicsilhouetteshootingcompetitions.

In1958DickCasullandJimFullerlengthenedthe.45LongColtcartridgetocreatethe.454Casull.Thecartridgefiresa250-grainbulletatover1,900feetper second with about 2,000 ft-lb of muzzle energy. The round found afollowing with hunters after medium to large size game and competitivemetallic silhouette shooters. In Alaska the round is popular for protectionagainstlargebears.

WeatherbyMarkV

SpeedKillsProduced:1957–PresentWeatherby Mark V rifles can be defined as iconic, luxurious, and highperformance.Itwasthelate1940swhenRoyWeatherbybeganbuildingriflesinhis California shop. These rifles used what were then Weatherby’s wildcatcartridges based on his design philosophy that lightweight bullets traveling athighspeedprovidedthebestterminalperformance.Thosecartridges,withtheirunique double radius venturi shoulder design, became a line of proprietarycartridgeswithcalibersrangingfromthediminutive.224upthroughthecolossal.460.The.257WeatherbyMagnumissaidtohavebeenRoy’spersonalfavorite.In1957thehotrodcartridgeswerematedtoWeatherby’sproprietaryaction,theMark V, built to be stronger, safer, and able to withstand the tremendouspressure of Weatherby’s high-velocity cartridges. The action features ninelocking lugs and a 54-degree bolt lift. If the cartridges and action were notunique enough,Weatherby’s stock has a distinctMonte Carlo comb sculptedfromeitherfancywoodorhand-laminatedwithcompositesorsynthetics.Initialproduction of the Mark V started in California, but European and AsianmanufacturershavealsobuilttheMarkV.ItiscurrentlyproducedintheUSA.

TheWeatherbyMarkVDeluxehasastyleallitsownandaslewofproprietarycalibers.

RoyWeatherby was the consummate wildcatter; here he examines a tree he shot with one of the rifleschamberedinhisproprietarycalibers.

Specifications

CALIBER:(Proprietary).224WeatherbyMagnum,.240WeatherbyMagnum,.257WeatherbyMagnum,270WeatherbyMagnum,7mmWeatherbyMagnum,.300WeatherbyMagnum,.30-378WeatherbyMagnum,.340WeatherbyMagnum,.338-378WeatherbyMagnum,375WeatherbyMagnum,.378WeatherbyMagnum,.416WeatherbyMagnum,.460WeatherbyMagnum;(standard).22-250Remington,.243Winchester,.25-06Remington,.270Winchester,7mm-08Remington,7mmRemingtonMagnum,.308Winchester,.30-06Springfield,.300WinchesterMagnum,.338-06,.338WinchesterMagnum,.375H&HMagnum,.416RemingtonMagnum,.458WinchesterMagnum,.458Lott

BARRELLENGTH:22,24,26,and28inches(dependingoncaliber)OALENGTH:46.63inches(26-inchbarrel)

WEIGHT:7.25pounds(26-inchbarrel)

STOCK:CompositeorAAAfancywalnut

SIGHTS:None,drilledandtapped

ACTION:Bolt-action,9-lug(magnumcalibers),6-lug(standardcalibers)FINISH:Blued,matteblue,stainlesssteel,orflatdarkearthCreateCAPACITY:2+1,3+1(magnumcalibers),5+1(standardcalibers)

TheWeatherbyMarkVbolthasninelockinglugs(farleft),nextisaMauserstylecontrolfeedbolt,thenathree-lugboltfromaT/CIcon,andaboltfromaRemingtonModel700.

RangeCertifiedWeatherbyissofocusedonaccuracytheyofferalineofRangeCertifiedriflesthat guarantee sub-MOA accuracy of 0.99-inches or less from a three-shotgroupatonehundredyards.

TheMarkVArroyoRCfeaturesa factory-tuned, fully-adjustable triggerand issignedandcertified toshootsub-MOAgroupsbyEdorAdamWeatherby.

SavageModel110

UnassumingTackDriverProduced:1958–PresentLet’sfacethetruth:atonetime,Savagebolt-actionswereugly.Thewoodstockslookedlikeahighschoolfreshman’sfirstwoodworkingproject,thetriggersweregosh-awful,andthebarrelnutthatheldthebarreltothereceiverwasbutt-ugly.The accuracy of the Model 110 rifles made this aesthetically displeasing rifleabsolutelybeautiful.

TheModel 110 was developed in themid-1950s and offered commercially in1958, making it the oldest continuously manufactured bolt-action rifle in theUnitedStates.Thebottomlinewiththeseriflesistheyareaccurate,reliable,andinexpensive. The Model 110 was designed from the beginning for ease inmanufacturing and assembly. Savage in the past few decades has turned theiruglystepchildofarifleintoaseriesofriflesthatarenotonlybeautifulbutpushtheenvelopeonaccuracyinaninexpensiverifle.

In1966itwasreengineeredtoyetagainmakeitmorecosteffectivetoproduce.By1998anotherdesignchangecame,andthisiswhenSavagecameintoitsown.

Certaincharacteristicsof theModel110seriesmakeitsing.First, therearethebutton-rifled barrels. For a barrel to be accurate, it needs to be a perfectlyconsistenttube.Thebarrel is fullythreadedintotheactionandlockedinplaceviaabarrel locknut.Thishelpsshootersbetteradjustheadspacetolerancesandalsocontributestobetteraccuracy.Thefloatingboltheadisunique.TheSavageboltheadismadeoftwopartsthatallowforaslightamountofplayorfloattoprovide the best lug engagement in the recess of the receiver and lock thecartridge in the chamber.When youpurchase a custom rifle fromSavage, thebuilder spends time ensuring thebolt is tunedand squaredup to the receiver.Savage controls the rifle’s headspace exactly with zero tolerance by placing aminimumheadspacegaugeinthebarrel’schamber.Theboltisthenclosedandlocked into the receiver.Thebarrel is threaded into the receiver until it stops,

andthebarrelnut locksdownthebarrelandreceiver.Savage’sAccuStockusesan aluminum rail system to secure the action to the stock in three directions.Keepingtheactioninplaceensuresexcellentaccuracy.AccuTrigger,introducedin2003,wasdesignedwithanintegratedrelease,athinbladeinthecenterofthetrigger thatmust be completelydepressed to fire the rifle.Though this featurereduceslegalliabilityforSavage,itgivestheshooteratriggerthatcanbeadjustedfromsixouncestosixpounds.

The110TrophyHunterXPpackage includesaModel110riflewitha factory-installedNikon3-9x40mmscopewithBDCreticle.

The SavageModel 10, a short action rifle, is based on theModel 110, a longaction rifle. The Model 10/110 LE Series and Model 12/112 Target/VarmintSeries rifles, though similar in appearance, have slightly different bolts andreceivers.NumerousmodelsfromtheModel10/110,11/111,14/114,and16/116seriesemploythesameboltstyle,thoughfinish,stock,andmagazinetypesdiffer.

Someofmy smallest groups have been firedwith Savage rifles straight off theassemblyline.

Specifications

CALIBER:.222Remington,.223Remington,.22-250Remington,.243Winchester,.250-3000Savage,.25-06Remington,6.5Creedmoor,6.5x284Norma,.270Winchester,7mm-08,7x57mm,7mmRemingtonMagnum,.300Savage,.30-06Springfield,.308Winchester,.300WinchesterMagnum,.338WinchesterMagnum,.338LapuaMagnumBARRELLENGTH:20,22,24,and26inches(dependingoncaliber)WEIGHT:6.25to15.75lb.(dependingoncaliber/barrellength)STOCK:Checkeredwoodorpolymer(standard)SIGHTS:Opticready

ACTION:Bolt,pushfeed,two-lug

FINISH:Bluedorstainless

CAPACITY:3+1or4+1(dependingoncaliber)

TheauthorfiredthisgroupatonehundredyardsfromaModel11/111LongRangeHunterchamberedin6.5Creedmoor.

SavageModel110riflesareaccurateduetoexactlymanagingtheheadspace ineachrifle,aswellasotherfeatures.

GoingLongThe SavageModel 12 Palma is purpose-built for long-range target shootingout to one thousand yards. Savage’s shooting team has won a case full oftrophiesandmedalsasaresult.TheModel12isbuiltthesamewayasModel110s.TheLE/Tactical110BAisamodulardesignthatenablestheoperatortocustomizetherifleformissionspecificneeds.Tryouta.338LapuaMagnum.

The Model 12 Palma features a 30-inch barrel, weighs 11.5 pounds, and can shoot tiny groups atdistance.

The 110 BA is available in left-or right-handed models and chambered in either .300 WinchesterMagnumor.338LapuaMagnum.

ColtM16

America’sBlackRifleProduced:1959–PresentFully automatic M16s have been used in the US Military since 1958, whileciviliansalesofsemiautomaticversions,AR-15rifles,beganin1963.TodayitisperhapsthemostcopiedrifleintheUnitedStateswithdozensofmanufacturersbuilding countless numbers of variants that range from highly accuratecompetitionsriflesandtacticalmodels tovarmintandbig-gamehuntingrifles.The shooting public cannot get enough of what the VietnamWar–era gruntsnicknamedthe“BlackRifle.”

Therifle’soperatingsystemisdirectgasimpingement,inwhichgasfromafiredroundtravelsfromthebarrelthroughagasport,downagastube,andintoaboltcarrier. The bolt carrier acts like a piston to eject the spent cartridge while abuffer spring in thestockpushes thebolt forward tochamberanewcartridge.Theactionisrenownedforminimalrecoil,especiallywhenchamberedfor5.56NATO/.223Remingtonammo,therifle’smostcommoncaliber.Themodularityoftherifleallowsupperandlowerreceiverstobeeasilyswappeddependingonthe shooting scenario. AR-15s are also easily customized with the builder’simaginationastheonlylimit.Theriflehasbeenvilifiedintheanti-gunpressanderroneously called an assault rifle, but the AR in AR-15 stands for ArmaLiteRifle. Shooters have found that the AR-15 is an excellent rifle capable ofdefending one’s home, putting meat in the freezer, and competing in targetshooting.

The rifle’s designbegan to take shape in 1955–56 inHollywood,California, atArmaLiteCorporation, a smallmachine shop thatwas purchased andmade asubdivision of Fairchild Engine andAirplaneCorporation. Eugene Stonerwashiredaschiefdesignengineer.ArmaLite’sbusinessplanwastodesignsmallarmstobesoldorlicensed.Stoner,RobertFremont,andL.JamesSullivanallworkedondevelopingnew small armsdesigns.TheAR-10was the predecessor to theM16.Itfireda7.62x51mmcartridgeandwassubmittedtotheUSArmy’stests

forareplacementfortheM1Garand.TheAR-10wasunlikeanyrifleinthetests—non-reciprocating charging handle, hinged upper and lower components,select fire, gas-operated direct impingement system, lightweight aluminumreceiver,syntheticstock,andaluminum/steelbarrel, toname justa fewuniquedesigncharacteristics.

ThisiswhattheradicalM16lookedlikewhenfirstissued;itwaschidedforbeing“MadebyMattel,”atoymanufacturer.CourtesySpringfieldArmoryNationalHistoricSite.

TheM16wasnotissuedwithacleaningkit,butthatsoonchangedafterriflesjammedincombat.CourtesyofSpringfieldArmoryNationalHistoricSite.

Agruntin’NamcarryinganM16;theweaponprovedvaluableafterinitialglitches.CourtesyofSpringfieldArmoryNationalHistoricSite.

Longstoryshort(fillintherequisitepoliticalshenanigansandcover-upsaswellasmilitarychangingandrechangingspecifications),ColtdemonstratedtheAR-15 to General Curtis LeMay, Air Force Chief of Staff, on watermelons inHagerstown,Maryland, in 1960. LeMaywas convinced of the killing power ofthe rifle and its high velocity .22 caliber bullets.More political maneuveringsensued, but the M16 was issued to troops in South Vietnam in 1962. Initialreports stated the rifle was well received but a change in the rifle’s cartridgepowderprovedtobedisastrous.Riflesjammed,andGIsdied.Cleaningkitsandmanuals were issued, and the rifle design was slightly tweaked. TheM16 hassincebeenmodifiedovertheyears,andisnowintheM4modelvariantswithashort and more maneuverable 14-inch barrel. Colt has been the onlymanufacturer to supply theM16 and its variants to the USMilitary, but thatseemstobechangingwithRemingtonDefensenamedasanewcontractor.

Onthecommercialorcivilianside,thesemiautomaticAR-15hasbeenbanned,thentheassaultriflebanwasallowedtoexpire,andattimestherehavenotbeenenough AR-15s on dealers’ shelves. Many states still require post-banconfigurations:weldedmuzzlebrake,nobayonet lug, fixedbuttstock, and ten-roundmagazines.Somestatesbantherifleoutright.Inthe1990sthepopularityof AR-15s surged with varmint hunters when manufacturers like Rock RiverArms, DPMS, Daniel Defense, LaRue Tactical, Stag Arms, and others createdextremelyaccuratecoyoterifles.TheAR-10rifle in .308Winchestermakes theplatformsuitableforbiggamehunting.

The M4 is the current M16 variant used in close-to medium-range combat in the streets of Iraq andAfghanistan.CourtesyofUnitedStatesArmy.

Likeothermilitaryriflesofyore,theAR15isnowcommonlyusedforhunting.CourtesyofNationalSportShootingFoundation.

There isnodoubt thepolitical roil over “assaultweapons” and theAR-15willcontinue to be a flash point. In the meantime, firearms manufacturers andaccessorymanufacturersarebuildingsomeofthebestriflesandpartsthathaveservedourcountrysince1962.

Specifications

CALIBER:5.56x45mmNATO

BARRELLENGTH:20inches

OALENGTH:39.5inches

WEIGHT:7.18pounds(unloaded)

STOCK:Polymerpistolgrip,handguard

SIGHTS:Adjustablerearaperture/wingedadjustablefrontpostACTION:Gas-operateddirectimpingement/rotatingbolt,selectfireFINISH:Parkerized

CAPACITY:20-,30-rounddetachableboxmagazine

ThesemiautomaticAR-15hasreplacedthepumpshotgunaslawenforcement’slonggun.CourtesyofColtDefense.

TheAR15rifle isusedbymorecompetitorsintheServiceRiflecategorythananyotherrifle.CourtesyofCivilianMarksmanshipProgram.

ComicReliefandMaintenanceProceduresIn 1965M16 rifles were issued to troops without cleaning supplies or eveninstructions on how to clean the rifles. InMarch of the same year, reportssurfaced of grunts killed because theirM16s had jammed. The cause was achange in the powder of the ammunition. The fix was a chrome-linedchamber, a recoil buffer modified for the ammo, and cleaning kits. WillEisner’smaintenancemanual,written likeacomicbook,wasalsopassedouttoGIs.Withthedesignchangesandmaintenancetraining,thereliabilityoftherifleincreasedanditgainedacceptanceandapprovalwiththetroops.

WillEisnerwroteandillustrated“TheM16A1RifleOperationandPreventiveMaintenance”manualfortheUSArmy.

AllAboutThatYawThe .223 Remington/5.56x45mm cartridge was officially adopted by the USArmy for use in the AR-15 platform in 1964. The round creates massivewounds,becauseithitsathighspeedandtumblesoryawsinsofttargetswhiletransferringenergy.Originallya55-grainbulletwasloadedinM193ammo;in2010 the bullet weight was changed to a 62-grain bullet inM855A1 ammo.Technically, the .223 Remington and the 5.56x45mm are slightly different,with 5.56 brass cases heavier than commercial .223 cases. Chambers andthroatsarealsoslightlydifferent.

Thegelatinblockshowstheeffectofa75-grainboattailhollowpointround.CourtesyofHornady.

1960s

Mossberg500

EconoComboKingProduction:1960–PresentMossbergneededawininthelate1950s.Theywantedamoremodern-lookingshotguntocompetewiththosemadebyWinchester,Remington,HighStandard,andothers.The200seriesshotgunwasgettinglonginthetooth,soleaddesignengineerCarlBensonandhisteamsettowork,andtheresultwastheModel500.Mossbergpreferredtocallitthe500ShootingSystem,sincetheinitial12-gaugemodel offered a variety of interchangeable barrels. The 500 also featured anambidextroussafetylocatedatthetopoftheanodizedaluminumreceiver,singleslide-bar,disconnectingtrigger,damascenedbolts,andsolidsteel-to-steel lock-upofthebolttothebarrel.

The original design remained virtually unchanged for over thirty years. AcharacteristicoftheModel500isthattheboltlocksintoalockingluglocatedonthe topof thebarrel—thesolid steel-to-steel,bolt-to-barrel lock-upconnectionthatMossbergadvertisementstout;thissystemdoesnotrelyonthereceiverforany locking strength as some other pump-action shotguns do. The triggerassemblyfieldstripseasilyandquicklyviaoneretainingpin,makingthe500easytomaintain.The aluminumreceiver gives the500betterbalance andmakes itlighter.Todayonly12,20,and.410modelsareavailable,butin1963a16-gaugeversionwasofferedthathaslongsincebeendiscontinued.Standardmodelshaveamagazinecapacityoffive2-3/4-inchshellsorfour3-inchshells.Sometacticalmodelswithanextendedmagazinetubehavean8+1capacity.

Mossberg500TurkeyThugisaninexpensiveset-upforturkeyhunting.

Specifications

GAUGE:12,16,20,.410

BARRELLENGTH:14to30inches

OALENGTH:43.5inches(24-in.barrel,12-gauge)WEIGHT:7lbs.(24-in.barrel,12-gauge)

STOCK:Wood,MossyOakcamo,orblacksynthetic

SIGHTS:HiVizormetalbeadfront,metalbeadmidribACTION:Pump-action

FINISH:Blue,nickel,MossyOakcamo,Marinecote,ormattebluereceiver/blued,camo,Marinecote,ormattebluebarrelCAPACITY:5+1(8+1forsomeTacticalvariants)

Theold schoolClassicmodel featuresblued steel, awood stock, and a red ventilated recoil pad just likepumpgunsafewgenerationsago.

Thecharmoftheinexpensive500isitsversatility.Mossbergbegansellingcombokitsconsistingofasmoothborebirdbarrelandaslugbarrelwithironsights.Ahuntercouldthensetuphisorher500foruplandbirdorwhitetaildeerhunting.Over the years, numerous configurations have been designed for lawenforcementandmilitaryuse.Betweenstocks,forends,andbarrels,the500canbeconfiguredfornearlyanyscenario.BetweentheModel500andotherpump-actionshotgunmodels—505Youthmodels,510Minimodels,535ATSmodels,835, 590, and others, Mossberg is the world’s largest manufacturer of pump-actionshotguns,bestingthenumbertwoshotgunmakerby45percent.OvertenmillionModel500pump-actionshotgunshavebeenproduced.TheFlexsystemintroducedin2014enablesuserstoquicklyconfigurethe500anywaytheywantwithouttheuseoftools.

Inmyyoungerandmorevulnerableyears,beforescrew-inchokeswerethenormandwhenmoneywastight,IpurchasedaModel500combo.Itwasinexpensivedue to the pressed checkering on a hardwood stock. Tooling marks showedthrough the thin blued finish. That 500 combo allowed me to hunt grouse,pheasant, mallards, and whitetails. Changing from bird season to deer seasonwas only a matter of changing out the barrel. I’ve shot thousands of roundsthroughthatsame500atclaytargets—sportingclays,skeet,andtrap—andwonafewgamesofAnnieOakleywithit;ithasneverfailedme.No,it’snotfancy,butitsuredoeswork.

Justincasethereisazombiehoardroamingthecountryside,aModel500withachainsawforendcanhelpmowdowntheundead.

TheFLEXSystemgivestheover-fifty-year-olddesignoftheModel500anewlevelofversatilityunlikeanyotherpumpgunmanufacturer.

MilitaryandLEMossbergsTheModel 590 series is based on theModel 500 pump shotgun.MossbergassertstheModel500wastheonlyshotgunthatmetUSArmymil-spec3443E.The spec has since been revised. Section 3.10.12 of MIL-S-3443G added arequirementthatthetriggerguardbemadeofmetalandbeabletowithstanda

staticloadof220poundsappliedtothetriggerguardbow.Inlayman’sterms,the trigger guard should have sufficient strength to take a blow withoutdeformingandjammingthetriggermechanism.MossbergupdatedtheModel590 to the 590A1, which has a metal trigger guard and other updatedmodificationslikeabarrellugthatslipsoverthemagazinetubeandissecuredwith amagazine cap, aluminum safety button, and thicker barrelwalls. Thesteel components are also phosphate-coated.Model 590A1s have a polymertrigger group. TheNavy uses the 590A1s. TheConnecticut State Police andTexasDept.ofPublicSafetyarejusttwoexamplesofLEagenciesthatrelyonMossbergs.TheTexas training shotgunshave some fifteen thousand roundsthroughthemandtheyarestillrunningstrong.

RemingtonModel700

ThreeRingsofSteelProduced:1962–PresentTheModel 700 and the 7mm RemingtonMagnum go back to 1962. John F.KennedywasinhissecondyearintheWhiteHouse.Coca-Colawastencents,itonlycameinatall,heavyglassbottle,andyouneededabottleopenertoopenit.AndWinchesterandRemingtonwerelockedinamarketingrivalry.Winchesterwasridingthewaveofenthusiasmovertheirrecent .264WinchesterMagnum,whichhitdealers’ shelves in1953. Itwasa fastcartridge that left the .270Winand.30-06inthedust.Remingtonneededawin.

TheModel700BDLhasold-schoollookswiththenewestRemingtoninnovations.

Whentailfinsoncarswerestillcommon,Remingtondebutedabolt-actionrifleinanewmagnumcaliber,7mmRemingtonMagnum.Itwouldbeaclichétosay

the rest ishistory,but ever since theModel700hasbeenabenchmark in rifledesign and the 7mm Rem Mag cartridge has been one of the most popularcartridgesever.Morethanfivemilliondifferentmodel700shavebeenbuiltsinceinfortycalibersrangingfromthe.17Remtothe.458WinMag.Thatmakesovernine hundred models type/caliber combinations. It helped at the time thatWinchesterdecidedtoredesigntheirModel70intoapush-feedrifle,turningoffloyalWinchestercustomers.

Merle“Mike”WalkerandRemington’sdesigncrewinthe1940swastaskedwithdesigningariflethatwasmoreeconomicaltomanufacturethantheModel721andModel722.Usuallywhenthegoalistocutcosts,thatmeanscheapeningtheproduct. In the case of the Model 700, the rifle was easier and simpler tomanufacture and the design was exceptionally strong. Remington marketingmaterial at the time touted “three rings of steel” that provided strength andaccuracy.The three ringsof steel are three key components of theModel 700.The first is thebolt face,which is recessed toenclose thebaseof thecartridge.Thesecondringisthechamberendofthebarrel,whichsurroundstheboltface.The third ring is the front receiver ring,which in turnsurrounds thechamberendofthebarrel.

Withtheboltretracted,theinnermostringofsteelcanbeseenintheboltfaceontheModel700.

TheModel700utilizesapush-feedboltwithtwoforward lugs; thebolthandleactsasarearlug.Theextractorissetwithintheboltfaceasistheejector,whichis a plunger type. The action is available in three sizes; short for .308 sizecartridges, standard for .30-06 length rounds, and long for magnum-sizedrounds.TheUSgovernmentpurchasestheModel700fromRemingtonDefenseasthesniperdedicatedM24.CountlesscustomriflemakersbuildriflesusingtheModel700asaplatform.

IhaveaModel700BDL,whichisaboutasoldschoollookingasyoucangetinaModel700.ThewalnutstockfeaturesahighMonteCarlocheekpieceforright-handed shooters, skipline pattern checkering, and a dark wood end cap. Thestock’s finish is so glossy you can shave in the reflection. The white spacerbetweenthestockandtherecoilpadwashowgunmakersoncedresseduprifles,butbytoday’sstandardsofmattesteelandsyntheticstocks,thespacerlookslikewhite sockswitha tuxedo.Simply, it looks like a1960s-era rifle.Thebluing isglossyanddeep.AhingedfloorplateisstandardontheBDL.TheBDL’s24-inchbarrelisslightlytaperedandsportswhatmayseemstrangetocurrentshooters:open sights. The rear is ramp style with easily read graduation marks forelevationandwindage.Thefrontsightconsistsofahoodedramp.Opensightsonmodernbolt-actionriflesareasraretodayastailfinsonacar.Thetwistrateis9-1/4:1for7mmRemMag.

TheX-MarkProTriggerhasbeenadorningModel700ssince2009.Thetriggerisadjustable just incase the factory settingof3-1/2poundsdoesnot suityourneeds. The trigger can be adjusted up or down two pounds from the factorysettingusingacommonhexwrench.OntheBDL,thetriggerbrokecrisplyat3pounds10ounces.Noneedtoadjust.Boltworkwas typicalRemingtonandatfirstwasstickybutafterafewstrokesitsmoothedup.Thesidesoftheboltnowarecheckeredandshaftoftheboltisnicelyjeweled.

TheRemingtonModel700toutedits“out-of-the-box”accuracyinanadfromthe1980s.

TheinitialADLhassincebeeneclipsedwithnumerousstyles,liketheModel700SenderoSFIIfeaturingaheavy fluted 26-inch barrel, full-length aluminum bedding, and synthetic stock with finger grooves andpalm swells. The Model 700 VL SS Thumbhole has a 26-inch heavy contour barrel and laminatedthumbhole stock. TheModel 700 SPSTacticalAAC-SD features a 20-inch heavy barrelwith a threadedmuzzle.

Since1962theModel700hasbeenwildlypopularwithhunters,andcompetitiveshooters.That’snotbadforoverahalfacentury.

Remington’sBigSeven:LongRangePunchThe7mmRemingtonMagnumisarelativelynewpupcomparedtocartridgeslike the .30-06and .270Win.,whichdebuted in1906and1925, respectively.Introduced in 1962, the 7mmRem.Mag.was designed to competewith theold-timers.AccordingtotheBooneandCrocketClub,the.30-06andthe7mmRem.Mag.tiedinpopularity.WhatB&Crecordholdersknowiswhatalotofbig game hunters have known since the early 1960s: the 7mm Rem. Mag.shoots as flat as the .270Win. andhas the samepower as the .30-06, and itdoes this using the same size action as the .270 and .30-06. The 7mmRem.Mag.shinesatlongrangesfoundinthewesternUnitedStatesandtheplainsofAfrica.The7mmRem.Mag.isabeltedcartridgethatcarriesthesameDNAasthe.300H&Hand.375H&HMagnums.Beltedcartridgeshaveabeltaroundthebaseofthecartridgethatallowsthecartridgetoheadspaceonthebelt.The.270 and .30-06 headspace on the cartridge case shoulder. Belted cartridgesalsoensurebetterextractionastherimisexposed.Holland&Holland(H&H)originally designed the belted case for their large caliber, dangerous-gameroundsandeversincemagnumcartridgesandbeltedcartridgeshavebecomesynonymous.

Whenthe7mmRem.Mag.debuted,thehotcartridgeatthetimewasthe.264Winchester.BigSeven’spresencecausedthe.264Win.’spopularitytofizzleasittookonthe.30-06and.270headtohead.Onpaperandinthefieldthe7mmRem.Mag.offersbetterballistics.The7mmbulletisslipperierintheairthana.30caliberbullet,meaning7mmbulletshaveabetterBC(ballisticcoefficient).The7mmRem.Mag.’ssweetspotwithbulletweightsisintherange140to160grainsandwithbarrellengthsbetween24and26inches.Shorterbarrelssuckthe velocity out of the 7mmRem.Mag. not allowing bullets to achieve fullvelocity.Withsimilarrifleweightsandbulletweight/velocitiesthe7mmRem.Mag.hasonaverage15percentmorerecoilthanthe.30-06.OntheplussidetheBigSeven’srecoilismuchtamerthanothermagnums,likethe.300Win.Mag.and.338Win.Mag.Itisnotacaliberfornewshooters,butifthatistheonly rifle available in deer camp, try stoking it with Remington’sManagedRecoilcartridgesthatofferlesskick.

A 7mmRemingtonMagnumwith a 150-grainCore-Lokt is flanked on the left by a Remington .270Winchesterwitha130-grainCore-LoktandontherightaRemington.30-06witha168-grainCore-LoktUltraBondedPSP.

Specifications

CALIBER:.17RemFireball,.204Ruger,.220Swift,.22-250,.243Win.,.25-06,.257Wby.Mag.,.260Rem.,.264Win.Mag.,.270Win.,.270WSM,.280Rem.,7mm-08,7mmRem.Mag.,7mmRem.UltraMag.,.30-06,.300Win.Mag.,.300WSM,.308Win.,.300Rem.UltraMag.,.338Win.Mag.,.338Rem.UltraMag.,.35Whelan,.375Rem.UltraMag.,.375H&HMagnum,.416Rem.Mag.,.416Rigby,.458Win.Mag.,.470CapstickBARRELLENGTH:20,22,24,and26inches(dependingoncaliber/model)WEIGHT:9pounds(averagedependingoncaliber/barrellength)STOCK:Checkeredwoodorpolymer

SIGHTS:Adjustablerear/ramppostfront

ACTION:Bolt,pushfeed,two-lug

FINISH:Bluedorstainless

CAPACITY:3,4,5,and6internalbox(standard)

M24SniperWeaponSystem

WhentheUSArmyspec’doutadedicatedsniper rifle, theystartedwith thecommercial Model 700 action platform. The M24 SWS (Sniper WeaponSystem) was adopted by the Army in 1988 and includes the rifle andaccessories, like a Leupold scope, tools, spares,Harris bipod, and sling. TheM24startswithalong-actionModel700receiver,sincetheriflewasoriginallygoing to use .30-06 Springfield ammunition then changed to shorter7.62x51mmNATO (.308Winchester) ammo (the bolt length remained thesame). The thought was the rifle could be retrofitted in a caliber the samelength as the .30-06, such as the .300 Winchester Magnum. Some fifteenthousand M24s have been built by Remington Arms to US Armyspecifications.

TheUS Army designed theM24 starting with theModel 700 to be a dedicated sniper rifle and wasadoptedbytheArmyin1988.CourtesyRemingtonDefense.

Military operators have come to appreciate theM24 as a reliable rifle with an effective range to 800meters.CourtesyRemingtonDefense.

RemingtonModel1100

SoftShooterProduction:1963–PresentSemiautomatic shotguns were not new in the early 1960s. Browning haddesignedarecoil-operatedshotgunin1902.Usingtheburninggasesfromafiredshell to operate a shotgun’s mechanism was still out of reach for mostmanufacturers. They built some autoloaders, but the reliabilitywas spotty andshooters needed to make adjustments depending on the shells fired. Recoil-operatedgunsused friction rings, andguns like thosemadebyHighStandardhadaselectorthatauserswitcheddependingontheshell.TheRemington1100changed all of that.One could easily argue the new designwas revolutionary.Remington’sfirstattemptsatproducingagas-operatedshotgunweretheModel58andSportsman58,whichwerebuiltfrom1956to1963.TheModel58wasanattempt. (Underscore attempt.) Other manufacturers like High Standard hadbeenproducinggas-operatedsemiautomaticshotgunsliketheSupermaticsince1960.In1963whenRemingtoncameoutwiththeModel1100,thesuccessortotheModel58,shotgunshootingwastransformed.

The Model 1100 was designed by Wayne Leek and R. Kelley using analoguecomputerswithmilesofwire,oscilloscopes, and tubes—enough to fill a room.Almost immediately, it became the most popular gas-operated semiautomaticshotguninAmericaforonemajorreason—softrecoil.TheRemingtonwasalsoreliable and required none of the user adjustments to low-brass or high-brassshellslikepreviousmodels.In1978,an1100firedtwenty-fourthousandroundsbeforeitmalfunctioned,anditwasnotcleanedduringallthoserounds.

The 1100 took the “kick” out of shooting a 12-gauge, or any gauge for thatmatter.Themeasuredamountofreducedrecoilwasabout40percentlessthanother semiautomatic shotguns of the time. The 1100’s system operates bybleedingofftheexpandinggasesofafiredshellthroughportsinthebarrelneartheendof the forend.Thegases thendrivea sleevearound themagazine tubethatconnectstotheboltcarriergroupviaactionbars.Whatwasnovelaboutthedesignatthetimewasthesystemwasself-compensating.Nearlyany2-3/4-inchshell can be fired in the shotguns without the operator having to make anyadjustmentsonthegun.AnotherdesignfeatureoftheModel1100isthecarrierrelease ispositionednear themagazine loadingport so shells caneasilybe fedinto the tubemagazine andbolt releasedwithminimalhandmovement.Mostothergas-operatedsemiautomaticshotgunslocatethecarrierreleaseonthesideofthereceiver.Barrelscouldalsobeinterchangedquicklyandeasilysoonecouldchasepheasantinthemorningthenswapthesmoothborebarrelforarifledslugbarrel and lay inwait for abuck ina tree stand.The featureswe shooters andhunterstakeforgrantedintoday’ssemiautomaticshotgunwereintroducedwiththe1100.Overfourmillion1100shavebeenbuiltandforgoodreason:shooterslovethem.

Everyone has an 1100 story. The first 1100 I firedwas well-used. It had beenhanded down from a dad to his eldest son to the next oldest son. There washardlyanybluing leftonthereceiverandthefinishwas flakingoff thestock.Icouldhitanythingtossedupintheairthatday.I’llbetthat1100isstillworkingtoday.

Specifications

GAUGE:12,16,20,28,.410

BARRELLENGTH:18to30inches

OALENGTH:45.6inches(24-in.barrel)to49.6inches(28-in.barrel)WEIGHT:8lbs.(28-in.barrel,12-gauge)

STOCK:Glossywalnutorsynthetic

SIGHTS:HiVizormetalbeadfront,metalbeadmidribACTION:Gas-operated,semiautomatic

FINISH:Blued,nickelormatteblackreceiver/bluedormatteblackbarrelCAPACITY:4+1(3+1forSpecialField12and20gaugemodelsand.410using3-in.shells)

Remington11-87:JuicedUp1100The 11-87 was introduced in 1987 at a time when Beretta’s A303 semiautoshotguns were gaining traction with shooters and hunters. The 11-87 isessentially an 1100, but the 11-87will shoot all 2-3/4-inch and 3-inch loadsinterchangeably,unlikethe1100.

Ruger10/22

TinCanBusterandSquirrelHunterProduced:1964–PresentThe10/22isaniconicAmericanrimfireriflewithaslickrotarymagazine.Somefivemillionhavebeenmanufacturedsinceintroducedin1964.The10/22isafunplinkerandsmall-gamegetter. It is alsohighlycustomizable, andsince it is aneasyrifletoworkon,manyshooterstrickouttheir10/22tosuittheirshootingsituation or their personality. After-market triggers, barrels, and stocks cancompletelytransformthefactory10/22intoacustomshootingmachine.

BillRugerandHarrySefriedbothdesignedtherifle.The10/22wasdesignedasafull-sizerimfirerifle.Itusesasimpleblowbackmechanism.Whenfired,thebolttravels rearwarduntil ithits thebolt stoppin.At thatpoint thebolt isdelayedenough for the empty case to eject and a new round to feed through themagazine.Itisamarvelouslysimpledesign.Themagazineitselfisquiteuniqueforarimfire,asitfeaturesarotorthatseparatescartridgesandprovidesreliablefeeding.Loadingthemagazinesiseasytoo.ThereliabilityandtheeaseofuseiswhatmaketheRuger10/22standoutfromthecrowdofother.22LRrifles.

ThenoveltyandreliabilityoftherotarymagazinewasstressedinearlyRuger10/22ads.

TheStandardCarbinemodelhasbeenvirtuallyunchangedsinceitwasintroducedin1964.

The10/22iscompact,withnorecoil,andabsolutelyreliable.

MarlinModel60

Introducedin1960,theModel60isalsoaverypopularrimfireriflefeaturingMarlin’smicro-groovebarrelriflingthatusessixteensmalllandsandgroovesto increase accuracy by decreasing the deformation of bullets as they traveldown the barrel. Typical rifling employs four, six, or eight grooves.Economicallypriced,theModel60easilyallowsformountingoptics,andwithaMonteCarlohardwoodstockitisnowondermanyyoungshooterscuttheirteethontheModel60.

TheMarlinModel60isanotherwell-likedandreliable.22rimfireautoloader.

Specifications

CALIBER:.22LR

BARRELLENGTH:16.6,18.5,and20inches(dependingonmodel)WEIGHT:5pounds(Carbinevariantwith20-in.barrel)STOCK:Smoothhardwood(standard)orpolymer

SIGHTS:Adjustablenotchedrear/ramppostfront;opticreadyACTION:Blowback,semiautomatic

FINISH:Bluedorstainless

CAPACITY:Detachable10-roundrotarymagazine

HeavyMetalTheRuger10/22Targetvariantfeaturesaheavytaperedhammer-forgedbarrelwithaspiraldesign.Thetwo-stagetriggerhasashorttakeupfirststage,thenthesecondstageisacrisppullwithnocreeporovertravel.I’veplinkedwiththemodelandIthinkitismyfavorite10/22.

Theheavybarrelofthe10/22Targetensuresgreataccuracyandnofeltrecoil.

PlasticFantasticWellbeforetheMarlinModel60ortheRuger10/22,Remingtondebuteda.22rimfireriflein1959calledtheNylon66thatmadeuseofasyntheticstockandreceiver, which was odd for the day as well as cutting edge in materialtechnology for rifles. It was one of the first mass-produced rifles to use asynthetic stock, which wasmade of Nylon Zytel-101, DuPontmaterial, andheldfourteenroundsinatubularmagazineinsidethestock.OveronemillionNylon 66 models were produced until production stopped in 1989. Todaysyntheticstocksarecommon.

RugerNo.1

TheAmericanSingle-ShotReduxProduced:1966–PresentBillRuger lovedold guns, andhe also liked to reengineer them tomake thembetter.At a timewhena single-shot riflewas the last thingonanyone’smind,Rugerintroducedthesingle-shotNo.1.Theshootingpublicwassmittenanditmadeperfectsenseinhindsight.Afterall,ourcountryhadcutitsteethonsingle-shot rifles a century earlier with the likes of Sharps, Remington, Ballard,Maynard,Stevens,andWinchester1885single-shotrifles.

BillRuger,nodoubtposing,butperhapsponderingthedesigndetailsofanewgunonhisdrawingboard.

TheRugerNo.1evokedthegreatsportingtraditionofstalkingandkillinggamewithonewell-placedshot.

Specifications

CALIBER:.204Ruger,.22Hornet,.218Bee,.222Remington,.223Remington,.22PPC,.22-250Remington,.220Swift,6mmPPC,6mmRemington,.243Winchester,.257Roberts,.25-06Remington,.264WinchesterMagnum,.270Winchester,.270WeatherbyMagnum,6.5mmRemington,6.5x55mm,7x57mm,7mm-08,.280Remington,7mmRemingtonMagnum,7mmSTW,.308Winchester,.30-30Winchester,.30-40Krag,.30-06Springfield,.303British,.300WinchesterMagnum,.300H&HMagnum,.300WeatherbyMagnum,.338WinchesterMagnum,.357Magnum,.375H&HMagnum,.375Ruger,.38-55Winchester,.404Jeffery,.405Winchester,.416RemingtonMagnum,.416Ruger,.416Rigby,.45-70Government,.460S&WMagnum,.458WinchesterMagnum,.458Lott,9.3x74Ror.450/400NitroExpressBARRELLENGTH:22,24,and26inches(dependingoncaliber/model)WEIGHT:7pounds(averagedependingoncaliber/barrellength)STOCK:Checkeredwalnut

SIGHTS:Adjustablerear/ramppostfrontoropticreadyACTION:Farquharson-stylehammerlessfallingblockFINISH:Bluedorstainless

CAPACITY:Single-shot

Thefallingblockactionof theRugerNo.1 isamodifiedversionof theEnglishFarquharson-style action with internal hammer. A lever that locks into thetrigger guard ispresseddown todrop themassive stainless steel block, exposetherifle’schambertoloadorunloadacartridge,andcockthehammer.Itisanexceptionally strong action that Ruger has chambered in some fifty differentcalibersovertheyears.Thewoodontherifleisalsoexceptionalwiththreetypesof forearms offered: a unique Alexander-Henry, a Beavertail for varmint-chamberedrifles,andafull-lengthMannlicherstyle.

Because of the action style, the length of the rifle’s receiver is reduced so theoveralllengthislessthanabolt-actionwiththesamebarrellength.Theactionisalso thin, so it carries easy. When it comes time to shoot, the ambidextrousthumbsafetyisconvenientlyplacedundertheshooter’sthumb.MycurrentNo.1is an International variant with a full Mannlicher stock and chambered in7x57mm,asweetcarryingandshootingrifleforwhitetails.

TheNo.1riflesfromRugerareunique,sophisticated,andharkenbacktoatimewhensingle-shotbigboresweretheultimatehuntingrifles.

TheMediumSporterNo.1isoneofthemorepopularmodelsofasingle-shot.

Withtheleverfullyforwardandfallingblocklowered,acartridgecanbeloadedintothechamber.

TheSharpsModel1874(top),WinchesterModel1885HighWall(middle),andRemingtonRollingBlock(bottom)wereallsingle-shotbigboreriflesusedattheendofthenineteenthcenturyforhuntingandlong-rangetargetshooting.

Thompson-CenterContender

40BarrelChoicesandCountingProduced:1967–PresentTheContenderandthenewersecondgenerationContenderG2modelpistol—orriflesormuzzleloaders—allowahuntertoswapbarrelsinnumerouscalibers—rimfireorcenterfire—andreconfiguretheframewithastockorpistolgriptobe a rifle or pistol respectively. A TC Contender G2 has a variety of possibleconfigurationssoyoucangofromhuntingsquirrelstoturkeystoelk.

WarrenCenterdeveloped theContender inhisbasement, thenpartneredwiththeK.W.ThompsonToolCompany to build the pistol. The single-shot pistolusesabreakactionwherethetriggerguardispulledbacktoopentheactionforloadingandunloading.Thehammeristhencockedbacktofirethepistol.Thebarrel is attached to the frame via a large hinge pin. By simply taking off theforend,thepincanberemovedandanotherbarrelcanbeswappedout.TheG2modelreplacedtheContenderin2002,andtheEncoreislatestgenerationwiththe same capabilities as the Contender and G2 and the added ability to usemuzzleloadingrifles.

Specifications

CALIBER:.17HMR,.22LR,.204Ruger,.223Remington,6.8Remington,7-30Waters,.30-30Winchester,.375Winchester,.44Magnum,.45LongColt,.45-70GovernmentBARRELLENGTH:6,8.75,10,12,14,16,and21inchesWEIGHT:43ounces(10-in.barrel)

STOCK:Smoothwalnut

SIGHTS:Adjustablerear/ramppostfront,opticreadyACTION:Break-action,exposedhammer

FINISH:Bluedorstainless

CAPACITY:Single-shot

ThisG2issetupasariflewithlongbarrel,buttstock,andoptic.CourtesySmith&WessonCorp.

ThereissomethingabouttheseTCgunsthatticklethefrugalYankeeinme.Aversatilegunwithmanyoptions.

TheG2pistolwith12-inchbarreloffersacomfortablegripandcaliberchoicesfrommildtowild.CourtesySmith&WessonCorp.

With the forend removed, it is easy to swap barrels by just removing the hinge pin. Courtesy Smith &WessonCorp.

TheEncorecanbeconfiguredintoatackdrivingmuzzleloader.CourtesySmith&WessonCorp.

BrowningBT-99

HowTrapShouldBePlayedProduced:1969–PresentNotlongaftertheBrowningBT-99wasintroduceditbecamewildlypopularandreveredforitssimplicity,durability,andclay-target-bustingperformanceonthetrapfield.YoucanliterallyshoottheBT-99untilyourshoulderisblackandblueanditwillcontinuetoshoot.Itisatoughcompetitor.

Asadedicatedtrapshootinggun,theBT-99isasingle-shotthatusesaboxlockaction.Thechambersarechromedtoresistfoulingfromallthosethousandsofrounds you’ll put through it.Newermodels haveVector Pro forcing cones tominimizeshotdeformationandmaximizeshotpatterns.Thinkconsistencyanddensity.Barrellengthsaretypically32inches,butstockconfigurationsandfinishchoicesarenumerous.

Specifications

GAUGE:12

BARRELLENGTH:32inches

WEIGHT:8.1pounds

STOCK:Checkeredblackwalnut

SIGHTS:Ivoryfrontbead

ACTION:Break-action

FINISH:Satinblued

CAPACITY:Single-shot

TheConventionalBT-99offersareliableentry-leveltrapgunthatcancompeteoutofthebox.

HighgrademodelslikethisBT-99GoldenClayshasafullyadjustablestock.

PerazziMX8

TopGunCompetitorProduced:1968–PresentThe Perazzi MX series of shotguns are born competitors. In 1968 Perazzishotguns started gaining notice as a result of their winning records. ElioMatarelliwonOlympicgoldatthe1968games.Perazzisaredesignedtoperformandaremadetolast,especiallyingruelingcompetitionandlifetimesofpractice.If winning competitions and durability don’t set Perazzis apart from thecompetition, the modular aspect of the guns is impressive. The trigger groupdrops out and can be swapped out for, say, selective or non-selective triggersystems.Thestock,too,ismadetobeeasilyremoved.

TheMX8startswithaforgedsteellow-profilereceiver.Barrelpivotsonruggedpinsandthelock-upbetweenbarrelandreceiveristightandstrong.EvenafterthousandsoffiredroundsaPerazzidoesnotworkloose.Thereceiverisslightlywiderthanothercompetitiongunsduetotheremovabletriggergroup.

WhatalsosetsaPerazziapartfromitscompetitorsisprice.Theyarehandcraftedguns and are insanely expensive, but it is a small cost to have one of the bestcompetitionshotgunsavailable.

TheMX8Vintageissimilartowhatthe12-gaugeover-and-underlookedlikebackinthelate1960s.

TheMX2008isastate-of-the-artcompetitionshotgunthatcombinesoldworldcraftsmanshipwithmodern

technology.

Specifications

GAUGE:410,28,20,or12(3-in.chamber)

BARRELLENGTH:29.5,30.75,or31.75inches

WEIGHT:8.46lbs.

STOCK:Walnut,numerousgrades

FRONTSIGHT:Fiberoptic

ACTION:Breakaction

FINISH:Blued

CAPACITY:2

1970s–1990s

BrowningCitori

America’sReigningOver-and-UnderProduced:1973–PresentThe story of the Citori actually begins with the Browning Superposed. Thepopularityofover-and-under shotguns roseashammerless shotgunswere firstmanufacturedandover-and-undergunsstartedtoreplaceside-by-sideguns.TheSuperposed design took shape from about 1922 through 1931. It was JohnBrowning’slastfirearmdesign,andwhenhediedin1926,hissonValBrowningtookover.Theoriginalproduction started in1931 inBelgiumwithonly a 12-gauge model available. To American sportsmen the Superposed wasrevolutionary,sinceitfeaturedinnovationslikeaselectivetrigger,ventilatedrib,and automatic ejectors. Todaymost shooters expect these features in an over-and-under. The Browning firearm company’s reputation as a shotgunmanufacturerwasbuiltwith theSuperposedasoneof thecornerstones. Itwasdurable andachieveda legendary status as anAmerican shotgun.EvenduringtheGreatDepressionandWorldWarIItheSuperposedsoldwell.Italsobecamethe steel and wood canvas of engravers, with luxury Diana and gold-inlayedMidasmodels.

Asisthecasewithmanygreatfirearmdesigns,theSuperposedwasexpensivetomanufacture,soBrowningintroducedtheJapanese-manufacturedCitoriin1973asaneconomicalandaffordableversionoftheSuperposed.Thoughtheshootingandhuntingpublicmayhavebeenskepticalofan inexpensiveSuperposed, theCitori has proven to be an extremely popular shotgun for generations of trap,skeet,andsportingclayshootersaswellaswaterfowlanduplandbirdhunters.Infact,itisoneofthebestsellingover-and-undershotgunsintheworld.

TheCitori’s reputationas adurable shotgunbeginswith the receiver,which ismachinedfromsolidsteel.Theactionsarehand-fitted,andliketheSuperposed,the barrels of the Citori pivot on a full-length hinge pin. Full width lengthtapered locking bolt with larger locking surfaces and the full width hinge pincreate a tight lockup and resist wear. Hammer ejectors providemore positive

shellejectionthancompetitivebrands.Thetopopeningleveriscrispandsharpandwillperformfortensofthousandsofrounds.

Specifications

CALIBER:410,28,20,or12(3-inchchamber)

BARRELLENGTH:26,28,and30inches

OVERALLLENGTH:43inchesto47inches

WEIGHT:6.6poundsto8.4pounds

STOCK:Walnut,numerousgrades

FRONTSIGHT:SilverbeadorHiVizPro-Comp

ACTION:Break-action

FINISH:Blued,numerousfinishoptions

CAPACITY:2

CitoriFeatherLightning.

The safety does not automatically engage when the action is open. Move thesafetyleftorrighttochoosewhichbarrel—toporbottom—willfirefirstwiththesingleselectivetriggers.Inertiatriggersystemswerehistoricallyusedtopreventashooterfrominadvertentlypullingthetriggerandfiringthesecondbarrelduetotherecoilofthefirstshot.Ashooterdoesnotnoticethetimeittakestoresetthetrigger, as it is nearly indiscernible. The Citori 725 Sporting Clay and Trapmodelsfeatureamechanicaltriggerthatautomaticallyswitchesfromonebarreltoother.The725’striggerreducestriggertakeup,hasacrispbreakandshorterovertravel.

OvertheyearsdesignmodificationstotheCitorilinecanbedividedintodistincttypesthatareeasilyidentifiedbyreceivershapeandserialnumberdesignation.ThefirstCitorisarereferredtoaspre-Type1andweremadefrom1973through1976; the receivers on these shotguns have no engraving. Type 1modelsweremanufactured in 1977 only, have a slanted receiver, and contain the letter

designationRRwithin the serialnumber.Type2,or straight receiver, refers toshotgunsmanufacturedbetween1978and1982; theserialnumberwillcontainone of the following letter designations: RP, RN, PM, PZ, or PY. These typesclosely resemble the Superposed. Type 3, or radius receiver/long tang triggerguardmodels,refertogunsbuiltfrom1983upthroughthepresent.Thebottomedgeofthereceiverisradiused.TheType3,orradiusreceiver/longtangtriggerguard, is foundonallFieldandTargetmodelsproducedsince1994.TheserialnumberforallCitorisislocatedunderthetoplever.

CitoriXTTrap.

TheBrowningCitorialsocombinesbeautyanddurabilitywithvariousgradesoffinish fromGrade 1, which features a checkered AmericanWalnut stock andlightly engravedblued receiver, toGradeVwithGrade IV/V featuringwalnutwoodanddeepreliefengraving.ComparedtosomeItalianbrands,theCitorihasaheavier,somewouldsayclunkier,actionthatistallerthanaBeretta680seriesoraDT10orDT11.

IhaveanoldCitori425SportingClaysmodelthatIboughtused.Thestockwasscratched,andthatwasjustaswell.TheCitoriismadetobeusedandusedoften.Keep the Midas version under a glass case to fawn over. I have used it forsportingclays,aswellasskeetandtrap.I’mfrugal,soIuseittochasepheasantbehindpointers.NomatterhowmanyhundredsofroundsI’vefiredthroughtheCitori,itstilllocksuptightandisdependable.

CZ75

ColdWarWonderNineProduced:1975–PresentIntroducedin1975attheheightoftheColdWar,theCzech-manufacturedCZ75 featured traditional all-steel construction, a double-/single-action trigger,hammer-forgedbarrelandgripholdingadoublestackofsixteenroundsof9mmammunition.Thefinishonthesepistolslookslikeblackepoxybakedon—anditis. Ithastaken,andisstill taking, theUnitedStatesawhiletounderstandhowaccurateandaffordablethesepistolsare.TheyaretotallyreliableandbuiltlikeaSoviettank.PartofthereasontheCZ75isnotaswellknownasotherpistolsisbecause the design was kept top secret by the Soviets, who controlledCzechoslovakia. The Czech armed forces adopted the CZ 75 after the VelvetRevolutionin1989.NumerousmilitariesandlawenforcementagenciesaroundtheworldusetheCZ75.

Likemostsemiautomaticpistolsofrecentdesign,theCZ75usestheBrowninglintelslockingcamsimilartotheBrowningHi-Power,andliketheSIGP210,theslideoftheCZ75ridesinsidetheframerails.Thisslideandframeconfigurationaidsinthepistol’saccuracy.

JeffCooper’spetproject,theBrenTenpistolchamberedin10mm,wasbasedonthe CZ 75. Many other manufacturers have copied the CZ 75 design andcurrently produce pistols like EAA in the United States, Sarsilmaz in Turkey,SphinxinSwitzerland,TanfoglioinItaly,andothers.

Thistraditionalall-steelconstructionCZ75isanexcellentdesignofferingaccuracyandreliability.

HeirApparentTheEAAWitnessFullSizebuiltbyTanfoglioistheheirapparenttotheBrenTen. JeffCooper felt the 10mmofferedbetter external ballistics than the .45ACP, so when the 10mm cartridge debuted in 1983, Norma was the onlyfactorytooffertheroundandthecompanyofDornaus&DixonEnterpriseshadtheonlypistol,theBrenTen.TheBrenTenwasbasedontheCZ75.TVactorDonJohnson,asSonnyCrocketinMiamiVice,usedaBrenTenduringafewseasons.

The original Bren Ten, manufactured by Dornaus & Dixon Enterprises, harnessed the power of the10mmintheCZ75platform.

Thefull-sizeWitnessistheclosestpistolcurrentlyavailablethatissimilartotheBrenTen.

Specifications

CALIBER:9mm

BARRELLENGTH:4.6inches

OALENGTH:8.1inches

WEIGHT:35.2ounces(unloaded)

STOCK:Blacktexturedplastic

SIGHTS:3-dotfixed,notchrear/bladefront

ACTION:Shortrecoil,lockedbreech,semiautomaticFINISH:Blackcoating

CAPACITY:16+1

SIGSauerP220

America’sIntroductiontoSIGProduced:1975–PresentThe P220 replaced the SIG P210,whichwas in use duringWorldWar I. The9mm P210 was renowned for its accuracy due to the design of the slide andframe. The slide rides inside the frame rails, which is the reverse of mostsemiautomaticpistols.TheP220wasdesignedwithaslideandframeset-up inwhichtheslideranontheoutsideoftheframe.Theslidewasoriginallymadeofstampedsheetsteelandtheframewasforgedalloy.Thepistolalsooperatesonthelockedbreech,short-recoilsystemdesignedbyJohnBrowning,butinsteadofthelockinglugsmilledintothebarrelandslidelikeona1911,theP220locksthebarrelandslidetogetherwithabreech.Glockusesasimilarbreechblocklock-up.

NotablefeaturesoftheP220includeadecockingleverthatallowsshootersasafeway to lower the hammer. As the decocker lever is depressed, the automaticfiringpinlockisengaged.TheP220alsohasatrigger-activatedfiringpinblock.The double-action/single-action trigger system had been battle tested in theWalther P38, and SIG continued to use this type of system. Europeanmodelshavethemagazinelatchinthebutt.USmodelshavethemagazinereleaseaftofthetrigger.

TheSwissArmyadoptedtheP220anddesignateditthePistole75chamberedin9mm.Manyother special forcesunits adopted theP220 aswell, and the9mmvariantevolvedintotheP226.IntheUnitedStatestheP220wasofferedin9mm,.38 Super, and .45 ACP. That last caliber was the one that caught America’sfancy.AllcurrentP220sareavailableonlyin.45ACP.BrowningArmsimportedtheirbrandedversionoftheSIGP220,calledtheBDAfrom1977through1980.At the time the pistol was very modern looking, and when most Americanshooterspictureda.45ACPpistol,itwastheColt1911.

Iincludemyselfinthatonce-ignorantbunch.WhatshootersfoundwhenfiringtheP220wasaveryergonomic,soft-shootingpistolwithexcellentaccuracy.The

P220isalsoa lot lighterthanafull-size1911,so it iseasiertocarry.Manylawenforcementdepartments,onceenamoredwiththe9mmroundandthenthe.40S&Wround,havecomearoundtothe.45ACPasadutycartridge.In2013theConnecticutStatePoliceswappedtheirSIG .40caliberpistols forthe larger .45ACPP220s.Thecombinationofcaliberandpistolergonomicsmadethechoicefortroopersano-brainer.

Specifications

CALIBER:.45ACP

BARRELLENGTH:4.4inches

OALENGTH:7.7inches

WEIGHT:30.4ounces(unloaded)

STOCK:Blacktexturedpolymer

SIGHTS:3-dotfixed,notchrear/bladefrontortritiumnightsightsACTION:Shortrecoil,lockedbreech,semiautomaticFINISH:Blackhardanodized

CAPACITY:8+1

The P220 replaced the SIG P210 in 1975; this P210 is amodern version of the pistol used by the SwissduringWorldWarII.

Allbusiness,theP220isoneofthemostaccurateoutofthebox.45ACPpistolsavailable.

NavySEALsChooseMK25When the Navy SEALs were looking for durable and reliable pistols, theyturned to the SIG P226. The MK25 is similar to the P226, but the bigdifference is the internal components are corrosion-resistant—an importantfeaturewhenyouareafrogman.

TheNavySEALsuseavariantoftheP226designatedtheMK25.

Beretta680Series

HowtheWorld’sOldestGunmakerDoesanOver-and-UnderProduction:1979–PresentTheBeretta680seriesofover-and-undershotgunsarenaturalpointersbuiltforhuntingorclaytargetshooting.Beretta’sreputationis legendary,witharecordof success in international competition. Shooters using Beretta shotguns havewonOlympicmedals.

The680 seriesofover-and-underswas introduced in1979, first as682modelsbuiltforcompetitiveclayshootingandthenasthemodel686and687fieldguns.Berettaover-and-undersofferaquality-built, affordable shotgun that is ruggedyetelegant—theamountofluxuriousengravingandwoodisreallyunlimited—anddesigned tobeusedand firedoften.Berettaover-and-unders are excellentexamplesofqualityItaliangunmakingatitsbest.

Toagreatextentthe680seriescompetesheadtoheadwiththeBrowningCitori;theBerettacosts less than theBrowning.Go toany trap fieldor sportingclayscourse,andyouwillfindmostgunsareeitherBerettasorBrowningswiththeirrespectiveusersenthusiasticbrandambassadors.Certainly theBerettasholdanoldworld status (manufactured in Italy) compared to the Brownings (built inJapan).

A682GoldETrapgunisacompetitiongradeover-and-underwithadjustablecombandhighventrib.

The686SilverPigeonIhuntingshotgunisabestinclassgunthatperformsaswellasitlooks.

Specifications

GAUGE:12,20,28,.410

BARRELLENGTH:26to34inches

OALENGTH:10.75inches(6-inchbarrel),14.75inches(10-inchbarrel)WEIGHT:6.8pounds(12gauge,28-in.barrel)

STOCK:Selectcheckeredwalnut(687SilverPigeonIII)SIGHTS:Metalbead

RIBTYPE:Flat,.25-in.x.25-in.

ACTION:Low-profileimprovedboxlock,breakactionFINISH:Silveredreceiver,matteblackbarrels,numerousfinishoptionsCAPACITY:2

The 682 models were built up through 2000 and were known as well-builtcompetitionmodels that featured a triggerwith adjustable lengthofpull,widetop vent ribs, and stocks with palm swells. The 686 and 687 models are stillcatalogued by Beretta, and over the years they have gone through numerouscosmeticchanges.Thesemodelsarebuiltforuplandhuntingandofferexcellentbalancewhenswingingonaflushingbird.The687modelsaremoreposhwithhighergradefiguredwoodandreceiversornatelyengraved;687SilverPigeonVandthetopoftheline687EELLDiamondPigeonmodelshavesideplateswithgoldinlaysandrichhand-chasedengraving.

What sets the Beretta 680 series apart from other over-and-under shotgunmakersinthesamepricerangearethereceivers.Berettareceiversarelowprofile,which is accomplished by placing the lugs halfway up the breechblock of themonoblocconstructedbarrels,whicharecopiedbyanumberofothershotgunmanufacturers.Thisset-upcreatesaslim,compactreceiverthatisverydurable.One 687 EELL Sporting model has documented over 700,000 rounds. AlsouniquetotheBerettadesign,the680seriesusestwoconicallockinglugslocatedmid-actionrightbetweenthebarrels.Thisgivesthe686receiverlockingstrengthwhilekeepingtheprofilelower,allowingtheeyeoftheshootertobeclosertotheplane of his or her supporting hand. The pins also self-adjust for wear. Thebarrels hinge on trunnions set into the receiver sidewalls—another Berettadesign detail copied by others. All these details and others, depending on theshotgun’s end use, give the 680 series a feel and handling thatmake them aspopularinthefieldastheyareincompetition.

The687EELLClassicfeatureshand-chasedengravedsideplateswithintricatelydetailedmotifs.

TheauthoranddogCooperwaittheirturnataninformalfieldtrial;that’saBeretta686SilverPigeonIIin20-gauge.

BarrettM82A1

LongRangeBeastProduced:1982–PresentThe name Barrett is synonymous with .50 caliber rifles and in particularsemiautomatic .50-caliber rifles. For over two decades the M82A1 design hasbeenrefinedsothatitisreliableandaccurateinwhateverenvironmentalhellitisrequiredtoperform.InUSArmyparlance,theBarrettM82A1isknownastheM107; the USMC designate it as the M82A3. Whatever the name, the rifleharnessesthepowerofacentury-oldcartridgeinamodern,one-man,portable,shoulder-firedrifle.

The .50 BMG was first introduced in 1910, and it was adopted into militaryservice in1921foruse in theheavyM2Browningmachinegun.Thoughotherfirearmsdesignershavebuiltweaponschamberedin.50BMG,Barrettwasabletocreateasemiautomaticrifledesignthatwasreliableandaccurate.

Military agencies around the globe use this light recoiling rifle, which has amaximumeffectiverangeof1,800meters(1,869yards).TheSwedishArmywasthe first military organizations to purchase M82A1 rifles. In 1990 the USgovernmentemployedM82A1sinoperationsDesertShieldandDesertStorminKuwait and Iraq, respectively, using it as an anti-material weapon able toeffectivelydisablevehicles,parkedaircraft,andradar installationsamongotherhigh-value targets. In the hands of snipers the Barrett can defeat enemypersonnelatrangesconventionalshoulderweaponscan’t.

Specifications

CALIBER:.416Barrett,.50BMG

BARRELLENGTH:29inches

OALENGTH:57inches

WEIGHT:30.9pounds(unloaded)

STOCK:Metal

SIGHTS:Adjustablerear/fixedfront,opticready

ACTION:Recoil-operated,semiautomatic

FINISH:Matteblack

CAPACITY:10-rounddetachablebox

TheBarrettM82A1isshoulder-firedriflethatfiresthe.50BMGcartridge.

Inoperationthebarrelrecoilsslightlybackward,andthenarotatingbolt takesoverandspitsouttheemptycartridgeshellandscrapesafreshroundfromthemagazine.LiketheARplatform,theM82A1hasupperandlowerreceivers.TomitigaterecoiltheM107usesadual-chamber,detachablemuzzlebrake.

Numerous long-rangeshotshavebeenmadewith theM82A1.During theIraqWarin2004,SergeantBrianKremerofthe2ndRangerBattalionusedaBarretttoneutralizeenemytargetsatarangeof2,515yards.That’s1.4miles.In2008inAfghanistan,USArmysniperNicholasRanstadhasaconfirmedkilloutto2,288yards.

AUSMarinefirestheM107;notetheemptycartridgecasebeingejected.Recoilisverytolerableduetotherifle’sdesign.CourtesyofUSDepartmentofDefense.

Ataboutthirtypounds,includingthescopeandloadedmagazine,theM107isstillverymaneuverableandeasytoreposition.CourtesyofUSDepartmentofDefense.

The .50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) Mk 211 Mod 0 High-Explosive-Incendiary-Armor-Piercing(HEIAP) cartridge contains a .30-caliber tungsten penetrator, zirconium powder, and Composition Aexplosive.Itcanbeidentifiedbyagreentipwithagreyring.

DesertEagle

MagnumPoweredBrutewithStarQualityProduced:1982–PresentRobotCop (the original),DemolitionMan,Boondock Saints,La FemmeNikita(theoriginalFrenchversionandtheHollywoodremake),TheMatrix,YearoftheDragon,BarbWire,Commando,AustinPowers,DoubleImpact—therearemore,a lotmore. In fact, theDesertEaglehasappeared inover fivehundredmoviessince the 1980s. It has been used virtually in video games with names likeCounter-Strike, Tomb Raider, Grand Theft Auto, and Call of Duty: ModernWarfare.TVshowslikeMiamiVice,TheShield,Spenser:ForHire,WalkerTexasRanger,andcountlessotherscorrectlytypecastedthepistolasamenacingblasterwithrawpower.TheDesertEagleisoneofthemosticonicandstylisticpistolsinall media forms. When Hollywood needs a pistol to wreak havoc anddevastation,theDesertEagleiswrittenintothescript.

TheclassicblackDesertEaglein.50AE.

Specifications

CALIBER:.357Magnum,.44Magnum,.50ActionExpressBARRELLENGTH:6or10inches

OALENGTH:10.75inches(6-inchbarrel),14.75inches(10-inchbarrel)WEIGHT:71.4ounces

STOCK:Texturedrubber

SIGHTS:Fixedrear/rampfront

ACTION:Single-action,semiautomatic

FINISH:Matteblack(original),numerousfinishoptionsCAPACITY:9+1(.357Magnum),8+1(.44Magnum),7+1(.50ActionExpress)

ThoughtheDesertEaglepistoldoeshavethebrutish,ifnotrakish,goodlooksofaleadingman,itdoesnotjustgivegoodfacetothecameraorsplatteropponentsintoredgoowitha flickofa joystick.TheDesertEagle isa seriouspistolwithfierce firepower that harnesses the power of .50 AE (Action Express) andmagnumrevolvercartridges ina semiautomaticpistolplatform.Loadedwitha300-grainbullet,the.50AEproduces1476fpsmuzzlevelocityand1449ft-lbsofenergyoutofasix-inchbarrel.Thetypical.45ACPwitha230-grainbullethasa850fpsvelocityandproduces369ft-lbsofenergyfromafive-inchbarrel.

Chambering a pistol in a revolver cartridge is a bit unorthodox and requiresextra thought in the engineering of the pistol. Revolver cartridges are rimmedandheadspaceontherim,whileatypicalsemiautomaticcartridgelike.45ACP,9mm,.40S&W,tonamejustthree,headspaceonthecasemouth.Therimmedcartridgesalsoposeanengineeringprobleminthemagazinedesigntoensurethecartridgesfeedproperly.Thedesignofthepistolhasnumerouspatents,withthefirstawarded toBernardC.WhiteofMagnumResearch, Inc. (MRI) foragas-actuatedpistol.TheDesertEagleuniquelyusesagas-operatedmechanismwitharotating bolt, the type of mechanism normally found on rifles like the RugerMini-14andUSMilitaryM14.

A.50AEbarrelforaDesertEagle.

After initial design and prototypes, MRI contracted Israel Military Industries(IMI) to work out the bugs and refine the design so it could be brought intoproduction. It went through a number of design changes from 1979 through1982.IMIenhancedthepistol,securingpatentsalongtheway,andMRI(alongwith IMI) initiallyoffered theDesertEagle in twomodels: theMark I and theMarkVII.Bothmodelswereavailable in .357Magnumand .44Magnum.TheMark VII had an adjustable trigger and at one time was chambered in .41Magnum.Later theMarkVIIwas chambered in .50ActionExpress (AE).Thecurrent productionmodel is theMarkXIX, an upgrade of theMarkVII. TheMark XIX uses one frame size for all calibers, which allows the operator tochangecalibersbyswappingoutbarrel,bolt,andmagazine.Thepistolfieldstripsintosixmaincomponents.

TheDesertEagleintitaniumgoldwithBengaltigerstripesforovertwothousanddollars.

As in a rifle, the Desert Eagle uses gas from a fired round to articulate themechanism.Gas isported from thebreechand travels forward througha tubeunderthebarrel,flowsintoacylinder,andthenpushesthepistonrearward.Thepistol uses a three-lug rotating bolt with dual recoil springs to bring the slideforward after a shot is fired. This gas system and powerful big-boremagnumcalibersbulkupthesizeofthepistol.Notably,theDesertEagleismassive.Asidefrom the rifle-stylemechanism, theDesert Eagle uses a barrel locked into thepistol’s frame.Thisallowsahigherdegreeofaccuracy.Thepolygonal rifling isalso unique as it reduces barrel wear, is easy to clean, produces a better sealbetweenthebulletandthebore,andaidsinaccuracy.Thechamberischrome-plated to facilitateeasiercartridgecaseextraction.Thegrip isdesigned tohelpreduce felt recoil and make shooting the powerful rounds easier and morecomfortable. The pistol, obviously, was designed to use a two-handed grip. Asingle-actiontwo-stagetriggersystemrequirestheoperatortocockthehammerpriortofiringthepistol.TheDesertEagletriggeralsofeaturesATM(AdjustableTrigger Mechanism) that enables a user to adjust trigger travel between thelighterpullofthefirststagetotheheavierpullofthesecondstage.Thethumb-operatedsafetycatchisambidextrousandwheninthe“ON”positionblocksthethefiringpinwhileitdisconnectsthetriggerfromthefiringmechanism.

Asahuntingweapon,theDesertEagleisquitecapableoftakingbiggame.The

topofthebarrelincorporatesaPicatinny-stylerailsoalowpowerscopeorreddotsightcanbeattached.Ifwildpigsareaproblem,thenaDesertEaglemaybeasolution.Ihavefireda.44Magnummodelwithsix-inchbarrelandfoundthepistolcanquicklyconvertcementblockstosmallchunksanddust.

ThefinishesofferedontheDesertEaglerunthegamutofwhatoneexpectsfroma pistol quite capable of toppling a grizzly bear in real life to co-starringwithSylvesterStallone,ArnoldSchwarzenegger,andPamelaAnderson—all-businessblack matte to a glam 24K gold with tiger stripes. Stainless steel models areofferedandhaveamuzzlebrakeoption.

ThoughtheDesertEaglehasbeendepictedasapopularcombatweaponinmassmedia,itisimpracticalinthatrole.Itisheavy(weighingoverfourpounds),long,andhasseriousrecoil,tonamejustafewreal-worldattributes.TheDesertEagledoeshaveanimposingpresenceandapowerfulreputationasapopcultureicon.NotmanypistolshavebeenonthecoverofPlayboymagazineinthehandsofapink-bikini-cladPamelaAnderson.

“Coonan”theBarbarianNot many semiautomatic pistols are chambered in a rimmed revolvercartridgeliketheDesertEagle.TheCoonan.357MagnumAutomaticisabouttheonlyother exception to the rule.TheCoonanuses a1911-styleplatformbutischamberedin.357Magnum;italsofires.38Specialcartridgeswhentherecoil spring is swapped out. The frame and slide are made of 17-4 PHstainless steel investment castings. The Coonan is an engineering marvel,combiningasemiautomaticpistolplatformandarimmedrevolvercartridge.

GlockG17

GameChangerProduced:1982–PresentGlock did not invent the polymer-framed pistol, but they did create a “plasticpistol” that is durable, reliable, accurate, and changed the way handguns aredesigned and made. These handguns are ubiquitous and come from a smallmanufacturer who had no prior knowledge of firearm design. Gaston Glockmade small items for theAustrianmilitary fromhis garage.Glockpistolsnowhaveabout65percentmarket shareamongUS lawenforcementagencies.The9mmG17wasthefirstmodelproduced,andsimilarmodelsfollowedincompactand subcompact versions in numerous calibers: .380, 9mm, .40 S&W, 10mm,.357SIG,.45ACP,and45GAP.

Cutawaypistols areusedbyGlock’s sales force to show the innerworkingsof theweapon; this isoneofeightmadeofaGen1Model17.CourtesyStanleyRuselowskicollection.

Allthepistolsoperatethesame(andinfactlookthesame).Besidescaliber,sizeis theonly otherdifferentiator.Design features include a low slideprofile thatkeepsthebarrelaxisclosetotheshooter’shandtoreducemuzzleflip,anylon-based polymer frame with steel inserts, a polygonal rifled barrel, and threeindependentsafetymechanisms:thestriker-fireactionsystem,afiringpinsafety,andadropsafety.Glocktoutsperfection,andtheycomeveryclose.DisassemblyofGlocksissimple,maintenanceisminimal,andaccuracyisgreat.

AGen1G17(top)andaGen1G19(bottom),twoofGlock’smostpopularmodelswithLE.CourtesyStanleyRuselowskicollection.

Over the years Glock has revised the grip. There are five texture treatments:Gen1 guns (1986–1988) had a pebble finish, Gen2 guns (1988–1997) had acheckeredgrenadetexture,theGen3models(1995–2014)hadfingergroovesandcheckeredtexture,andthecurrentGen4guns(introducedin2010)haveanRTF-4(RoughTextureFrame),atoneddowngriptexturefromtheextremepolymidtractionRTF-2texture,whichwasconsideredtooaggressive.

TheGlockbecameaheralded“gangster”weaponinrapsongs.AslewofrappersfromWu-TangClan(“DaGlock”) toTheNotoriousB.I.G. (“WhatchuWant”)haveglorifiedtheGlock,makingmoreofthepopulationawareofthepistol.TVshowswerequicktousethematteblack,blockyshapedpistol.MiamiVicemayhavebeenthefirstshowstocasttheG17anditjustsnowballedwithTheX-Files,The Sopranos, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, 24, and many more. MickeyRourkeinJohnnyHandsomewasthefirstactortowieldaG17inafilmin1989.

Specifications

CALIBER:9mm

BARRELLENGTH:4.5inches

OALENGTH:7.3inches

WEIGHT:22ounces(unloaded)

STOCK:Texturedpolymer

SIGHTS:3-dotfixed,notchrear/bladefront

ACTION:Shortrecoil,lockedbreech;striker-fired,semiautomaticFINISH:Matteblack

CAPACITY:17+1

OriginallyGlockswerepackedintheseTupperware-likecontainers.CourtesyStanleyRuselowskicollection.

Somegunexpertssnortedandsaidthatnoonewouldeverwanta“plastic”gun,itwouldwearouttoosoon.Themediahadafielddayassumingthe“plasticgun”wouldget throughsecuritymetaldetectors,wheninfactGlocksare83percentmetalbyweight.Whenthebrasscooledanddustsettled,Glockdominatedlaw

enforcement,waswithnumerousmilitariesacrosstheworld,andreplacedmanyrevolversandfullmetalpistolsinnightstands.

Heckler&KochP9The HK P9 is one of the first successful polymer framed pistols. Producedfrom 1969 through 1978, it featured a polymer frame with stamp steelreinforcementsandpolygonalrifling,twodesigncharacteristicsoftheGlock.HKusedarollerdelayedmechanismandtraditionalDAtrigger.LEorspecialforcesunitsincountrieslikeGreece,Germany,Japan,Netherlands,andothersstillusetheP9.TheNavySEALShaveusedasuppressedversionoftheP9.

KnightMK-85

InlineBlackpowderPioneerProduction:1985–2009,2012–PresentIt was a simple idea. Instead of using the traditional side ignition ofmuzzleloadingpercussion rifles,TonyKnight createdan inline ignition systemthatcompletelyrevolutionizedmodernmuzzleloadingrifles.Knightalsoditchedthe centuries-old percussion cap for 209 shot shell primer, and tomake it allweatherproof—rainandsnowisthebaneoftraditionalmuzzleloadingrifles—headdedthe209primertoaplasticwaterproofdisc.Knightalsoupdatedtheactionwith a simple bolt system so the rifle looked andworked like amodern bolt-actionrifle.Thismoderndesignalsoallowedhunters tomounta scopeon therifle.

Theinlinedesignisinfinitelymoreefficientthanthetraditionalsidelockmethodofignition,sincethecaporprimerfiresdirectlyintotheloadofpowderinsteadof igniting the powder from a 90-degree angle. A 209 primer is inserted in aplasticdisc,andthedisc is theninsertedintotherearof thebarrel.Theplasticdisccreatesawatertightseal.

Where Tony Knight ventured, all others followed, and today the inlinemuzzleloaderisapreferredchoiceofhuntersacrossthecountry.

Specifications

CALIBER:.50or.52

BARRELLENGTH:26inches

OALENGTH:45inches

WEIGHT:8.5pounds

STOCK:Checkeredsynthetic

SIGHTS:Williamsadjustablerear/fiberopticfrontACTION:Bolt-action,single-shot

FINISH:Stainlessbarrel/Realtreecamostock

CAPACITY:1

TheKnightMK-85completelyrevolutionizedmuzzleloadingrifleswithitsinlineignition.

Omega’sTriumphTheThompson-CenterOmegausesadrop-actionsystemthatmakestheriflemuchshorterandlighterthanthebolt-actionsystemusedintheKnightMK-85 and similar rifles. The popularity of the drop-action system swung thependulumaway frombolt-action stylemuzzleloaders to thedrop-action.TCrefined theOmega—thedisc/primer couldbedifficult to insertwith a scopemounted—into the Triumph, which has a break-action that tips the barrelopenforeaseinloadingthedisc/primer.TheTriumphhasonlyfourmovingpartsandthebreechplugcanberemovedbyhand.

The TC Omega uses the same ignition principle as the Knight muzzleloader but with a differentmechanism.CourtesySmith&WessonCorp.

TheTCTriumphuses abreak-open action that allows easy access to thebreechplug for loading andcleaning.CourtesySmith&WessonCorp.

KrieghoffK-80

TheModel32RebornProduced:1988–PresentTheRemingtonModel32wasintroducedduringtheGreatDepressionin1931when the norm in shotguns included pumps, side-by-sides, single-shots, andsemiautomatics.TheAmericanshootingpublicwasnotreadyforanover-and-undershotgun.ThatwouldhappenwiththeBrowningSuperposedataroundthesametime.ThefactwastheRemingtonModel32wasawell-builtshotgun.Abitover five thousand of the standard models were built, much less for targetmodels. All was dust for theModel 32 until 1986whenH.Krieghoff inUlm,Germany, was founded. The firm resurrected theModel 32 as the K-80, andcompetitionshootershaveyetagainforgottentheModel32becausetheyaretoobusyshootingtheirK-80s.

Specifications

GAUGE:12(3-inchchamber)

BARRELLENGTH:30or32inches

WEIGHT:8.75lbs.

STOCK:Turkishwalnut

FRONTSIGHT:Whitebeadfront,metalcenterbead

ACTION:Breakaction

FINISH:Blued

CAPACITY:2

TheKrieghoffK-80ProSporterisaverypopulargunforsportingclaycompetition.

BenelliSuperBlackEagleII

A3-1/2InchThatIsSimple,Simple,SimpleProduction:1991–PresentIfmyhighschoolphysicsteacherhadusedaBenellisemiautomaticshotguntodemonstrate the concept of inertia, I would have paid closer attention. MostBenellisemiautomaticshotguns—particularlytheM2andtheSBE(SuperBlackEagle) II—useanoperatingsystemdeveloped in1967 that isextremely simple.With just threemain parts—bolt body, inertia spring, rotating bolt head—theSBEIIandM2canjustaboutrunforeverwithoutcleaning.OutfittersinCentralAmericaandSouthAmericauseBenelli foronemainreason: theyrunforever.Well,maybetworeasons:Shooterscanhitdovesandotherflyingbeastieswiththesecleanrunningandfasthandlingshotguns.

Assureasthesunrises,sowilltheSBEIIkeepworkingnomatterwhatthehuntingconditions;numerousfinishchoicesandstockconfigurationsareoffered.

Specifications

GAUGE:12(2-3/4in.,3in.,3-1/2in.)

BARRELLENGTH:24to28inches

OALENGTH:45.6inches(24-inchbarrel)to49.6inches(28-inchbarrel)WEIGHT:7.1pounds(24-inchbarrel)to7.3pounds(28-inchbarrel)STOCK:Satinwalnut,blacksynthetic,orRealtreecamoSIGHTS:Redbarfront,metalbeadmidrib

ACTION:Inertia-operated,semiautomatic

FINISH:MatteblackorRealtreecamo

CAPACITY:3+1

Inertiaisthetendencyforanobjectatresttoremainatrest,sowhenaroundisfiredtheBenellimovesrearwardwhiletheboltbodystaysinpositionduetotheinertia spring—a short, thick spring inside the bolt body. Nearly the entireshotgunisarecoilingcomponent;onlytheboltremainsstationaryduringfiring.Benelli’s inertia-driven system is often compared to gas-operated systems likethose found inMossberg 930 and 935, Remington 1100 and 11-87, BrowningGold, andother semiautomatic shotguns.Gas-operated systemsdivertburninggasesfromfiredshellstoapistonsystemthatoperatesthemechanism.Burningpowderandgas—allthatsootandgunk—iscontainedinthebarreloftheBenellisotheactionstayscleanerandcoolerthanagas-operatedaction.TheSBEIIandM2alsouse fewermovingparts thangas-operated shotguns.The end result isslightlymorefeltrecoilwiththeinertiadrivensystemcomparedtogas-operatedsystems, but the shotgun stays cleaner and cooler and is muchmore reliable.Whenothersemiautosstoprunning,theSBEIIkeepsgoingandgoing.

Waterfowlhuntersinducksblindsorboatsandgoosehuntershunkereddowninfrozen fields have come to rely on the SBE II.When temperatures are belowfreezing and your breath freezes to your beard, other semiautos can refuse towork,buttheSBEIIchugsalongwithareliabilitythathunterscometotakeforgranted.Another appealing aspect of the SBE II is its handling characteristics.Unlike some 3-1/2-inch chambered semiautos that handle like a piece of 2x4lumber, the SBE II handles like an over-and-under. It is well-balanced andresponsive.AsaturkeyhuntingshotguntheSBEIIcanbesetupwithBenelli’sSteadyGrip,whichis justafancynameforapistolgripstock.Sittingwithyour

back to tree, the pistol grip stock makes shooting more comfortable. DeerhunterswhousesluggunscanalsogettheSBEIIsetupforwhitetailswitha24-inchriflebarrel.TheSBEIIisamachinethatisreliableandhardworking.SomecriticsmightsaytheSBEIIistoolighttoshoot3-1/2-inchshellscomfortably.Inmyopiniontheonlytimeshooting3-1/2-inchshellsiscomfortableiswhenyourhuntingpartnerispullingthetrigger.

GotDucks?TheSBEIIwith3-1/2-in.chambershaswhatittakestobringhighflyersdown.

NoInertia,ButUSMCApprovedTheUSMCcalls theBenelliM4 theM1014. In1988when theMarineswereshoppingaroundforanewcombatshotguntheychosetheM4afterextensivetesting at theAberdeenProvingGrounds.TheM4crushed the competition.TheM4usesBenelli’sAuto-RegulatingGas-Operated(A.R.G.O.)system.Thissystem, like all Benelli systems, is simple. Two stainless-steel self-cleaningpistons located just forward of the chamber,where burning gases are hotterandcleaner,pushdirectlyagainstthebolt.Therearenoactionrodsliketypicalgas-piston-operatedshotguns.

BerettaAL391

ReliablewithLessKickProduction:1999–2013Semiautomaticshotgunsin12-gaugehaveadualrole.First,theyshouldn’tbetooheavy tocarry,becausehuntersmayneed towalka lotwhile totingpoundsofsteel and stock. Second, the recoil shouldnot loosen the fillings in your teeth.The AL390 series of shotguns have always been great performers. The AL391serieswereevenbetterduetoaself-compensatinggasvalveandareceiverrecoilabsorbermakingthegunreliabletoshootwithoutabruisedshoulder.

IhaveanAL391Xtreme2thatIhaveusedforturkeyhunting.Weallremembertouchingoffourfirst3-1/2-inchturkeyload.Forsome,thatwasenoughtostickwith2-3/4-inchloadsandlearntobettercallinawilytom.Theshotgunisfairlylight—7.8pounds—forsuchaheavyhitter,anditalsohasaKO(KickOff)recoilreductionthatisnotanythingnew,butitworks.TheXtremehasbeenusedforfowlinthecoldestofduckblinds.Withcertainloadsoncoyoteitisdeadly.

Specifications

GAUGE:20or12

BARRELLENGTH:24,26,28,30,and32inches

OALENGTH:51inches(28-in.barrel)

WEIGHT:7.3pounds(28-in.barrel,12-gauge)

STOCK:Glossywalnutorsynthetic

SIGHTS:Beadorfiberopticfront,beadmidrib

ACTION:Gas-operated,semiautomatic

FINISH:Bluedorsilverreceiver/bluedbarrel

CAPACITY:3+1

The Teknysmodel of the AL391 followed the Ulrikamodel; this Teknys has a sculpted receiver and isdesignedforsportingclays.

TheALXtrememodelsofferaheavypayloadwhenhuntingturkeyorduck.