Ammunition

No matter what one man may think is the ideal handgun cartridge, there is always another opinion. There are some cartridges too popular to ignore, and others that are chosen by simple necessity and practicality. The three cartridges discussed in this feature are not the results of careful experimentation and development — as was the 45 ACP; rather, they are the result of a response to marketing and commercial interests. These cartridges were chambered in the Colt 1911 to sell pistols. They offer alternatives to interest those who may not have purchased a 1911 otherwise. They offer some advantages over the 45 ACP, real or perceived, practical or even legal, to one extent or the other. The advantage may be in ease of control or in penetration. Economy is also an issue. The true history of each cartridge is a little different and more involved than usually narrated in the popular press. We are going to give you the lowdown on performance with a bit of history in the mix. Without the history you may not understand the dynamics of each cartridge and why they were designed to perform as they do or why the individual cartridge is popular, even though other cartridges may be more powerful.

Let's take a look at the 9mm Luger, 38 ACP Super, and 10mm and how they perform in the 1911 platform — and what loads we recommend.

In the course of a typical day's gunsmithing, I test fire at least three weapons for such things as inconsistent primer ignition, failure to feed properly, and sear disengagement. With the cost of commercial bullet traps somewhere in the stratosphere, I had no choice but to make my own to keep costs down. My indoor trap, which I use for pistols and rimfire rifles, cost less than $25 to build. Even if you use brand new materials, it should cost less than $100.

There will always be a need to identify chamberings of firearms that have been inherited or bought at yard sales. The lure of buying for bottom dollar and discovering a real jewel is ingrained in most of us, so a little thing like no chambering marks on a rifle or handgun is no deterrent to a gun fancier.

Varmint X, the new line of predator and varmint ammunition from Winchester, is being touted as a super-accurate lineup of the most popular centerfire rifle calibers for predator hunting: .204 Ruger, .223 Rem, .22-250 Rem and .243 Win.

The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) announced that O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., will be one of the major sponsors of the Smith & Wesson IDPA Indoor National Championship. The 2013 Smith & Wesson IDPA Indoor National Championship will take place February 21-23 on the indoor ranges of the Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

MidwayUSA has announced a major upgrade to its commerce site, MidwayUSA.com. The new MidwayUSA website features:

When you order one (or more) cases of ASYM Precision Ammunition through Dec. 1, 2012, the company will ship your entire order free.

Meeting the FBI-protocol handgun-ammunition terminal-performance test requirements is no small task — especially with a bullet as large as .45 caliber – but Hornady engineers have apparently succeeded.

The 9th Edition of Hornady’s Handbook of Cartridge Reloading becomes available December 1, offering reloaders more than 900 pages worth of the latest reloading data representing 233 different cartridges, 146 powders, and 304 bullets.

Remington has issued a Product Safety Recall Notice for its 338 Lapua Magnum 250-grain Scenar Match Ammunition Lot Nos. L13SA29L, L13SA29R, L13SB29L, or L13SB29R.

A hot topic among serious personal-defense shooters is ammunition for the handguns that we really carry. It is fine to consider the ballistic differences between all calibers, but when it gets to brass tacks, the snubnose 38 Special revolver is a handgun that all of us know and use. The 38 snub is still the most popular backup handgun and the one that makes the most sense. While the 38 Special may be a backup for armed professionals, the 38 is a primary handgun for shopkeeps and armed citizens. The 38 is a particularly good choice for female shooters. When the assailant is at bad-breath range and the action becomes intimate, the only answer is to press the handgun against the attacker's body and press the trigger. A self-loader would jam after the first shot. A peace officer who is defending against a gun grab would be in much the same situation.

The 38 Special snubnose revolver is often criticized as being inaccurate and difficult to handle, but it is all in indoctrination. We think that sometimes the shooter attempts to go too light. A steel-frame handgun is by no means too heavy if proper attention is given to concealment leather. A good-quality holster that properly conceals the snub 38 and keeps it in place will take care of the characteristic sag of a heavy handgun. When you put a steel-frame revolver in the pocket, the pocket droops. The pocket also droops with a lightweight handgun, only less. With the steel-frame revolver and practice, good shooting may be done. The 38 Special is simply too good a choice to ignore.

Here is the detailed ammo-testing protocol from Gun Tests magazine, the most commonly requested addition to Gun Tests coverage. Gun Tests' focus is on performance before the bullet hits the target. 'We realize that results from our test gun can't be extrapolated to every possible gun readers might own, we wanted to test ammunition in a fashion most consumers would be able to duplicate, and in fact, should conduct on their own. But our framework can potentially save you money and time by narrowing the list of candidates you might try in your own gun, and you can also follow our system to see if a given round performs for you like it did for us.