Pistols

California has argued that a provision of California Penal Code section 26820 enacted in 1923 prevents the displaying of any "handgun or imitation handgun, or placard advertising the sale or transfer thereof" anywhere in or on their store that can be seen outside their store by passersby.

Amongthe hot topics for discussion these days is the 380 ACP cartridge, more than one hundred years old and among the first of the modern smallbore pistol cartridges. Both the 38 ACP and the 32 ACP predate the 380, and each as originally introduced featured a small semi-rim for headspace. The 380 head spaces in modern fashion on the case mouth. Originally intended to perform as a pocket-pistol cartridge in early Colt and Browning pistols, the 380 Automatic Colt Pistol cartridge has enjoyed increasing popularity with the passage of reasonable concealed carry laws. Lightweight pocket pistols are the rage, and the 32 ACP and 380 ACP are popular numbers. The race to produce a maximum size savings in 380 ACP pistols has produced pistols in this caliber no larger than the equivalent 32 ACP chambering.

Apex Tactical Specialties has announced its new Apex Flat-Faced Action Enhancement Trigger, about $45, for the popular SIG Sauer P320 series of pistols.

Magnum Research Introduces New Animal Prints on Desert Eagles

In a Bargain Hunter feature in the July 2014 issue, Contributing Editor Bob Campbell examined whether it was better to buy a quality used handgun or a new economy handgun.

STI's new DVC Limited and Open pistols are an entirely new design based off the 2011 platform and are built specifically for competitive shooting, such as 3-Gun, U.S.P.S.A., or I.P.S.C.

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When Kel-Tec CNC Industries brought out its PMR-30 semi-auto pistol chambered in 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, we immediately wanted to compare it to FN's 5.7, a much more expensive handgun. Also, the FiveSeven was chambered in 5.7x28mm, a much more expensive and hard to find round.

In an intriguing and extensive match-up in the December 2014 issue, Gun Tests Magazine pitted two handguns chambered for hot 22-caliber bottlenecks against each other. The 22 TCM and the 5.7x28mm cartridges are interesting on many levels, but also are not the most common or easily obtained rounds. Both handguns have a military heritage, but the Rock Island 1911 is pretty far removed from its 1911A1 45 ACP ancestor.

Cold bluing, or chemical bluing, is used to touch-up slightly worn or nicked blued finishes. It is suitable for covering up the holster wear on the muzzle of a revolver, or a spot on a slide where your sweat lifted the blue. It is not nearly as durable as a hot-dip blue finish. Some cold-blue formulas contain sulfides, and a handgun that has been touched-up too much can have a very alight, but noticeable, smell of rotten eggs. Sniffing a used firearm, to see if there has been any use of cold blue to hide wear, is an old trick in the gun business.

When putting an S & W revolver back together, a few steps seem to cause more trouble than the rest. One is the insertion of the cylinder-locking bolt, and its spring, into the frame. The bolt has to go down its shaft, while the spring has to be squirmed back into the tunnel drilled into the front of the frame cutout. (I have no idea how they drill that hole.) With the frame resting on a padded surface, place the spring into its hole in the locking bolt. Start the bolt partway down the shaft until the spring bears against the edge of the frame. Use a small eyeglass screwdriver to compress the spring enough to clear the edge of the frame and push the bolt and spring down the shaft. When you get to the frame hole, the spring will snap into place. Be sure the bolt is completely down the shaft, and pivots smoothly up and down through the cutout under the cylinder.

Dury's Gun Shop, which supplies FFL services and guns for Gun Tests Contributing Editor Ralph Winingham in San Antonio, has partnered with Tom Gresham of Gun Talk Radio to create a limited run of 1,000 GT20 pistols, which are SIG Sauer P220 10mm handguns. Price is $1400. All GT20s will come with a SIG Sauer hard case and two eight-round magazines. Additional accessories can be purchased from Dury's and shipped directly to you with the purchase of your one-of-a-kind GT20 pistol. Shipping will only be $25 for the GT20 and free for all additional accessories ordered.

Smaller guns have always had a certain appeal. In some cases it was just the aspect of miniaturization that captures our imagination. In other cases it was the reassurance of a highly concealable weapon. One niche of such guns were semi-auto .380s, which have long been popular sidearms because of their flat, short footprint and sufficient, if not outstanding, power. Even in the small world of 9mm Shorts there is a pecking order in terms of size, with the Beretta 84LS being one of the largest.