Handguns

The number of Virginians who obtained a permit to carry a concealed weapon jumped 60 percent last year over 2006, an increase that many gun experts say was a reaction to the fatal shootings of 32 students and professors at Virginia Tech.

Max Michel and Kay Clark Miculek captured the Men’s and Women’s titles the 2008 U.S. National Steel Championships. The match, now in its second year, was held at the Skip-J Range in Anderson, South Carolina, with 90 shooters competing.

Remington Arms today announced four marketing and sales organizational changes, effective immediately. Bill Schirmacher, who was with Marlin for 36 years, joins Remington as director of brand management and product development for Marlin and H&R/New England Firearms. Jay Stuart, currently serving as director of Remington sales-west, assumes a newly created role as director, business development, focusing on managing all brands (Remington, Marlin and H&R 1871) and product categories with Wal-Mart. …

Gunslick demonstrates their support of law enforcement, armed forces and ”black gun” shooters with a product designed specifically for AR-15’s. Introducing the Gunslick AR-15 Pull-Through Kit (MSRP: $23.49)—available spring of 2008.

…Total firearm production in 2006 increased 3.3 percent, following a 4-percent uptick in 2005. Pistol and rifle production increased the most in 2006, while shotguns posted a slight increase, and revolvers a 14-percent decline.

WASHINGTON -- As Moses, Charlton Heston thunderously rallied his people with the Ten Commandments in hand. The tablet of his political life was carved with something else - the Second Amendment.Heston was not just the public face of the gun-rights movement but a good deal of the fire in its belly during a transformational time in the decades-old debate. He lived to see Democrats running away from a cause they once embraced, scared…

The often fierce debate over the Second Amendment has centered on whether it was intended to protect the rights of all Americans to own guns, or only those who are members of state militia groups. The poll makes it clear which side Americans come down on. Gun owners (roughly one-third of the U.S. adult population) are nearly universal in endorsing the view that the Second Amendment guarantees their right to own guns. Non-owners are less likely to view the amendment this way, but a majority still do.

Smith & Wesson Corp., announced today that it has entered into an agreement with the online training company 3point5.com to provide retail sales training support for the Company’s Smith & Wesson, Walther and Thompson/Center Arms products.

…HOUSTON -- A southeast Houston homeowner shot a burglary suspect after he was victimized twice in a week.

Team GLOCK Shooting Squad won four titles at the US National Steel Championships which took place on March 13-16, 2008 at the Skip-J Range in Anderson, South Carolina.

Here are some different views of the Heller arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court:

Reader mail tells us that Gun Tests readers are still interested in smaller-caliber handguns, and a new trend in wheelguns may be on the horizon. In our August 1999 test of .32 H&R Magnum revolvers, we learned that six rounds of thirty-two can be machined nicely into the same small cylinder that typically houses five rounds of .38 Special. We also saw that modern defense loads such as frangible ammunition can produce a lot of damage without harsh recoil. In this evaluation, we will examine a pair of .32 H&R Magnum revolvers and a third gun that may jump-start fresh interest in the snubnosed revolver.Because so few handguns are chambered for the .32 rounds, we had to mix single-action and double-action products, or else never test the category. Our first revolver is a single-action Western-style replica from Heritage Manufacturing. The No. SRR32MBS3BH Rough Rider is a 3.6-inch-barreled six-shot revolver with a birds head grip frame. It has a manual safety, but otherwise fits the profile of a period piece. The other two revolvers are both Ruger SP101s, and they are nearly identical. Our SP101 SP-3231X was chambered for .32 H&R Magnum. However, the six chambers of our SP101 KSP-32731X provides about one-eighth inch of additional space to accommodate .327 Federal Magnum ammunition. This is a new cartridge developed by Federal and Ruger that seats a 0.312-inch diameter bullet atop a taller, stronger case that we measured to be just less than 1.2 inches long.Accuracy tests were performed from a sandbag rest from a distance of 15 yards. Two different loads in each caliber were fired single action only. Our .32 H&R Magnum ammunition was Federal Champion 95-grain lead semi-wadcutters and Federal Personal Defense 85-grain jacketed hollowpoints. We had difficulty locating any .327 Magnum ammunition. Fortunately, we were able to locate American Eagle 100-grain jacketed soft points and Federal Premium 85-grain Hydra-Shok JHP rounds at Tomball Pawn in Tomball, Texas, (tomballpawn.com). Retail price was $23.95 for a box of 50 rounds of the American Eagle and $18.95 for the Hydra-Shok ammunition. The Hydra-Shok was packaged in plastic 20-round display boxes. The Hydra-Shok packaging looked great, but as usual we found each box difficult to open.We wanted to know if the creation of a new cartridge was worth the trouble. Was it more accurate? Did it offer a desirable increase in power yet still avoid the loud noise and harsh recoil of .357 Magnum ammunition. Was the .32 H&R Magnum still viable, or would the .327 Magnum make it obsolete?