Home Defense

What About Henry’s AR-7 Rifle?

Re “Go-Bag Rimfire Rifles from Savage, Ruger, and KelTec,” September 2020 Hi, I’m a longtime subscriber and want to thank you for doing such great...

First Look Video: Ruger-57 16401 5.7x28mm, $749

Gun Tests staffers are currently testing a Ruger-57 chambered in the 5.7x28mm round for the October 2020 issue of the magazine. The 57 is...

Gun Tests Master Index 1989 to 2022

HANDGUNS 2022 Items marked with an asterisk were listed in a Value Guide American Tactical Firepower Xtreme GI 1911 45 ACP *Oct. 2022 Beretta/Wilson Combat 92G Centurion 9mm...

Gun Tests Ammunition Comparisons

Here's a compilation of head-to-head ammunition testing conducted by Gun Tests magazine.

Over-the-Counter Exotics from Mossberg and Century Arms

Pistol-arm braces for AR and AK pistols have been one of the more controversial issues in the shooting industry and public for the past...

Smith & Wesson 638 Bodyguard .38 Special +P

The name Bodyguard has to be one of the all-time classic names for a self-defense gun. Certainly this Smith & Wesson design has been with us a long time, and in many ways it should be considered an unsung hero among the latest super-light firearms, mainly because it did so much so well.

Bersa Firestorm .380 ACP, $307

Back in April 2006 Gun Tests magazine tested three .380 ACP pistols, one of which was the Walther PPK, as made here in the U.S. under license by Smith & Wesson. They loved the well-built little PPK, even though it had to go back for rework before they gave it a clean bill of health. It had failed in DA shooting, but a stiffer spring gave it the equivalent of their Grade A appraisal. They recently found a gun that looked a lot like the PPK, the FireStorm by Bersa ($307 MSRP), from Argentina. Here's what they found.

Kimber Eclipse Target II 45 ACP, $1393

We compared two full-size 1911 handguns in the June 2013 issue to see which model offered the most bang for the buck. This Personal Defense test pitted two pistols of disparate price points to see if the less expensive model offered enough to consider it versus a fully equipped modern handgun. Tested were the Rock Island Armory Standard GI No. 51421 45 ACP, $410; and the Kimber Eclipse Target II 45 ACP, $1393. Here's an excerpt of that test.

Colt Trooper Mark III .357 Magnum

The Colt Trooper was made from 1953 to 1969. The Trooper Mark III superceded the Trooper and had a redesigned lock mechanism. It was manufactured from 1969 to 1983 in blue and nickel finish with 4-, 6-, and 8-inch barrel lengths. An owner's manual can be obtained by calling Colt at (800) 962-2658. The Trooper III in our test was made in 1974.

The Colt Trooper Mark III is for all practical purposes the working man's Python. Sound good? It features a serrated front sight pinned in place. The rear sight is fully adjustable, and it should be more durable than similar designs since the rear notch moves back and forth inside a protective frame. While adjustment for elevation is clockwise for down and counter-clockwise for up, the windage adjustment is reversed. Turn it to the right if you want the point of impact to move left, and turn left to bring the POI to the right.

Another feature is the direction in which the cylinder rotates. While other revolvers move counterclockwise, expecting a Colt to go bang requires the first round to be in the 11 o'clock position prior to cycling. Also, to release the cylinder one pulls rather than pushes on the latch.

3rd Circuit Rules for Wal-Mart Stocking AR-15s

In a review of a recent court case, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has released its full opinion in the case of Trinity Wall Street v. Wal-Mart, and it's a victory for the giant retail chain's ability to sell the firearms it wishes to sell.

At issue was whether Wal-Mart improperly excluded from 2014 proxy materials the church's shareholder proposal to require the corporation's board of directors to have standard-capacity AR-style rifles removed from the…

Apex Announces New Flat-Faced Action Enhancement Trigger for Sig Sauer P320

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

Olympic Arms OA 98 223 Rem

The design of the OA series of AR-15 type rifles connects to the OA 98 pistol. To accommodate a folding stock, Olympic Arms developed an upper that eliminated the need for a buffer tube. However, due to subsequent legal restrictions, folding-stock models such as the OA 93 and its cousins now feature fixed stocks, but these rifles still benefit from their minimal design and lighter weight. If you look at an OA-built AR-15 and imagine it without a stock, it is easy to visualize how the OA 98 pistol came into being.

Rebellion In The Lower Courts

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act in January 2023, and it is among the nation’s worst gun-control laws. It bans...