Hunting

The Handi-Rifle was true to its name, we thought. We found it easy to carry, pleasant in all its operations, and…well, just plain handy. The ejector worked every time the chamber was opened, which we didn’t really like. The rifle could be opened carefully and loaded silently, without tripping the ejector. Because we are reloaders, we would have preferred a simple, positive extractor over the ejector mechanism. More on this later. The barrel breech was huge in diameter, indicating abundant strength. This rifle is in fact chambered in many calibers including the .35 Whelen, .500 S&W and .45-70, so the design clearly has strength in abundance. As a Hornet, it ought to last forever.

Todd and Kathy Brown of Rosston, Arkansas, are suing Smith & Wesson in federal court in Texarkana, Texas, alleging negligence by the gun manufacturer that led to a Dec. 27, 2007, accident in which Todd Brown’s left thumb was severed.

Collection of pistols made and sold in 2008.

FFL dealers should advise their customers of two manufacturer recalls from Ruger and Smith & Wesson:

The Browning BPS Special Steel Field Model Pump 20 Gauge was tested as a used gun in the April 2008 issue of Gun Tests magazine. Counter Price at Dury’s Gun Shop in San Antonio: $370. Was that a good price for the gun? A price check on GunBroker.com suggests it was.

Eight years ago (February 2000), we tested the Raging Bull model, which was designed to take the pounding of the newest grenade on the block, the .454 Casull. At the time, the Bull was built on a new larger frame that was fit with a heavy 8 3/8-inch barrel. The barrel featured a deep full-length underlug and porting. The cylinder was braced with a second latch on the crane. The grip was also a new design with a shock-absorbing insert along the backstrap.

Each of these features were carried over to subsequent chamberings, which today include .454 Casull, .41 Magnum, 500 Magnum and of course the subject of this test, .44 Magnum.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sportsmen have a solid history of voting, with 9 in 10 currently registered to vote. Of those registered voters, 83 percent say they will vote in the November election, according to a new survey by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. Overall, there are an estimated 40 million sportsmen of voting age in the United States.

The winner of that test was the $625 Taurus Raging Bull Model 444B8, the only one of three .44 Magnums that the Gun Tests staff thought was ready for the field straight out of the box. It earned an ‘A’-grade from the magazine.

Alliant Powder’s Blue Dot should not be used in the following applications:

As a Federal firearms licensee (FFL), it is your duty and obligation to account for the acquisition and disposition of firearms, and it is essential to ensure that firearms are not diverted to the criminal element whether by theft or pilferage. ATF is dedicated to your success in fulfilling your duties and preventing the unlawful diversion of firearms. The following guidance on required and recommended security measures is intended to assist you in accomplishing these goals.

NORTH HAVEN, CT - Mossberg International has introduced the new SA-20 Semi-Automatic 20 Gauge Shotgun. This gas-operated shotgun is available in two models to fit all size shooters. The SA-20 is fitted with a standard 14-inch length of pull (LOP) synthetic stock and forearm while the SA-20 Bantam features a shortened 13-inch LOP. The gas system on this reliable wingshooter vents excess gases to aid in recoil reduction and helps in eliminating stress on the operating components.

GunBroker.com had almost two dozen Black Eagle II’s listed a day ago, with a low price of $1,050 for a used gun with a 28” barrel and factory chokes and case.