July 2013

A Pair of All-Steel 9mm Pistols Are Definitely Not Turkeys
We recently had the opportunity to shoot and thoroughly test two pistols imported from Turkey, and they were alike in ways other than sharing a home country — the two towns where the handguns are made sit about 523 km apart on the south side of the Black Sea. The Canik55 Stingray-C 9mm Luger, $370, imported by Century International Arms, is made in Samsun by Canik55, a police- and military-arms builder established in 1998. This DA/SA semi-auto is a CZ-75 clone made of steel with a hard-chrome finish, and it tips the scale at a hefty 38 ounces unloaded weight and 45 ounces loaded weight with 16 rounds aboard. It stands 5.25 inches tall and is 7.1 inches long.

Three More Midsize Forties: SIG, FNH-USA, and Walther
To expand the coverage of 40 S&W semi-automatics we have tested recently, our test team recently looked at three midsize pistols we thought would be worthy challengers to the Glock 23 Gen4 40 S&W, $650, evaluated in the May 2013 issue. In that test, our team gave the G23G4 an A grade, effectively setting a standard for other pistols in this category to try to reach. So we threw an array of other pistols at it, going from a budget discontinued model (the FNH-USA FNP-40 No. 47832, $450), to a longtime competitor (SIG Sauer’s SP2022 No. E2022-40-B, $570), to a model introduced in 2011, about a year after the Gen4 was released (Walther PPQ No. 2776481, $680.)

Old Against New Pocket Pistol Duel: Mauser HSc vs. Ruger LCP
Pocket pistols chambered in 380 ACP may seem like a recent trend, but the 380 cartridge has been around since 1908. During WWII, Colt, Walther, Mauser, Beretta, Sauer and others built small, compact pistols for this round. There are numerous examples of these old-school pistols still available. The HSc was Mauser’s attempt at building an inexpensive pistol in 1936. It was the first time Mauser used stamped steel in its pistol designs, and the handgun was originally made for the commercial market. But during WWII, the German military purchased more than 160,000 HSc pistols, mostly for the country’s army and naval forces.

Kimber Custom Shop Raptor II 45 ACP: Where Does It Rank?
We’ve had a Raptor II for a while, waiting for a suitable matchup from several makers who have thus far failed to provide us with a similar product, so we finally chose to have a good look at this pistol all on its own. To give some idea of the variety of 1911s in the Kimber line, within just the Raptor’s “cage” there are seven variants. These include the Grand, Pro, and Ultra models in both blued and stainless, or a mix of the two colors. Ours is all blue, and carries a price tag of $1434. We did our testing right after having looked at a surplus CZ 9mm and a new Tokarev 9mm, and must say, compared to those, the Kimber is a thoroughly professional-grade handgun. Its price is nearly five times the price of the others, so one would expect a better gun. Let’s find out just how much better it is.

CZ-USA's 204 Ruger Bolt Action
In making the case for the AR-15 platform to serve as a hunting rifle, it was pointed out that its military pedigree does not really set it apart from the other rifles we love carrying into the field. Almost every rifle from musket to semi-automatic was born of military design, so why should the Modern Sporting Rifle be any different? Likewise, we’re also seeing a growing acceptance of bolt-action hunting rifles with military profiles. Just like the AR-15, if a certain stock configuration and features like removable box magazines work well for snipers and designated marksmen, then they are sure to work efficiently for the hunter, too. Hence the appeal of our test rifle, the $885 Model 527 Varmint Target from CZ-USA chambered for 204 Ruger.

22 Mag and 32 Mag Loads: Are They Enough for Self-Defense?
A common thread among old-time shooters is the deadly effect of the 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire cartridge. Long recommended as a woman’s cartridge, the WMR is seen as a better choice than the 25 ACP or 32 ACP. Also commonly known as the 22 Magnum, the round is hailed as a fine choice for anyone who cannot handle the recoil of a 38 Special revolver. The popularity of 22 Magnum NAA Mini Revolvers is based largely upon this impression. The recommendation for the 22 Magnum has been given so many times that it seems to be accepted without research to back up the facts.