July 2009

Ankle-Holster Carry Choices: We Think Ruger's LCR is A-OK
If you’ve never carried a handgun in an ankle holster, consider this. If such carry is rare or unpopular, then it will likely prove unexpected as well, increasing the element of surprise— which is always a good thing when it comes to self defense. In this test we will look at three small revolvers that are suitable for ankle carry as well as other methods of deeper concealment. The revolver is a time-proven device, but making them small and light can present new challenges. The three revolvers are Smith & Wesson’s $600 Model 442 No. 162810, the $430 Charter Arms On Duty No 53810, and Ruger’s new $525 LCR, No. 5401. Each gun was chambered for 38 Special only, and thanks to the use of lightweight materials offered an unloaded weight of less than 1 pound. Maximum capacity was 5 rounds. To test our revolvers we fired from support at the nominal distance of 10 yards. One of the challenges of firing a short-barreled revolver from a rest is that once you’ve wrapped the snub-nosed revolver in your hands, there is not much gun left exposed for support. In addition, you have to be careful not to block off the cylinder gap. This is the area between the forward edge of the chamber and the entrance to the barrel, referred to as the forcing cone. As the bullet 'crosses the break,' gases are emitted that often carry unburned powder. In addition, if cylinder to bore alignment is not correct, debris can be sheared from the bullet as it enters the forcing cone. To prevent being splashed by debris we chose to use a flat, pillow-style bag, (sold as the Elbow Bag) from battenfeldtechnologies.com. These bags were tightly filled but lightweight, so shipping on top of the $20 price was nominal. Best of all, they were covered with an abrasion-resistant material.

22 Magnums: Marlin's 983S Bolt Gun Is a Magnum Bargain
The high demand and short supply of ammunition in recent months has left many rifle shooters scrambling for alternatives to their centerfire firearms. While rimfire rounds may not be the complete answer to the problem—some types of rimfire ammunition in also in short supply—the popularity of the less expensive bullets is growing. Those shooters interested in a little more punch for the dollar are turning to 22 Magnum offerings. With more knock-down capability than a Long Rifle round and selling for at about half the cost of common centerfire ammunition, the magnums seem to be a good choice. We selected the 22 Magnums because they can satisfy the plinking desires of firearm enthusiasts without breaking the bank; and they offer varmint-stopping punch for shooters interested in bagging small game. We selected three different actions of 22 Magnum rifles for our test, including one model that was recently discontinued and has become something of a sought-after collector’s item. Each of the rifles has a dedicated fan base, with some favoring the old-style lever action; some siding with the normally more accurate bolt action; and some interested in the rapid-fire power of a semiautomatic. The three rifles in our test were the lever-action Henry Model H001M, $420; the bolt-action Marlin Model 983S, $320; and the discontinued (2006) semiauto Ruger Model 10-22, which is selling for about $600 on several gun-trading websites. Despite the continuing drain on ammunition supplies because of volume purchases, there are still many different varieties of affordable 22 Magnum ammo available at most sporting-goods outlets.

Two Affordable 1911s: Rock Island Armory Beats Firestorm
There are many renditions of the Government Model 1911 45. Some have every feature and improvement known to man. Others are more utilitarian. You pay your money and you take your choice. There is certainly a market for a workingman’s 45 with good features above those of the GI pistol, but which remains affordable. After all, many top-quality 1911 pistols start around $1000. There are a number of good GI pistols for under $500, but few 1911s below $500 also feature good sights and other advanced features. However, we found two such affordable upgraded 1911s: The Rock Island Armory Tactical 45 ACP, $499, and the Firestorm DLX 45 ACP, $482. Each features Novak sights, or an approximation. Each features a custom beavertail grip safety and extended slide-lock safety. Beyond that, there are individual features and detail differences that may appeal to one shooter more than another. We tested the two handguns with three types of ammunition, Black Hills 230-grain jacketed hollowpoint +P, Fiocchi 230-grain ball, and Winchester 230-grain Personal Defense jacketed hollowpoints. The results were interesting and conclusive.

Guncrafter Industries 50 GI Kit: Great Conversion for Glock 21
Alex Zimmerman has a great idea. We first experienced it a while back in our review of one of his Guncrafter Industries’ 50-caliber 1911s, which we found to be a well-made handgun, if a bit on the costly side. Zimmerman’s idea is to give the shooter something more without the cost of broken hands. Rather than a bang-up, hot and heavy blaster, the 50 GI is a throwback to older times when big bullets traveled at low velocities and got the job done at least as well as any small-caliber, high-velocity round. Some 200 years ago the norm was single-shot or occasional double flintlock pistols, which commonly threw balls of up to 12-bore in size at velocities in the low- to middle-hundreds of feet per second. But wait!, cried the 'engineers.' Those low-velocity rounds are all wrong, they said. They don’t develop the muzzle energy of these new-fangled, higher-speed rounds, which depend on velocity squared to get their (largely misleading) high numbers. Thus, in today’s terms, a 9mm high-velocity round can equal the 'power' of a 45 ACP, at least on paper. In the real world, those with experience know this is not quite the whole picture. Many experts always go for the bigger bore with heavy bullets.