News

(GunReports.com) -- The upcoming issue of Esquire magazine, due to subscribers in about two weeks and due on newsstands several days later, carries an exclusive adaptation from The Gun, an examination of the origins of the world's most abundant weapon - the Kalashnikov assault rifle - and the consequences of its spread.The Gun and the adaptation of the book in Esquire, entitled 'How They Were Betrayed,' are written by C.J. Chivers, a former Marine Corps infantry officer and now a senior writer for The New York Times, where he reports for the Foreign and Investigative desks. He is also a frequent contributor to Esquire. In 2009 he shared a Pulitzer Prize for coverage in of combat in Afghanistan.

In our first review of handguns suited for the SASS Wild Bunch category—named in deference to the Sam Peckinpah movie, The Wild Bunch—we covered five traditional GI-type handguns from Springfield Armory, High Standard, and Colt. Prices ranged from $500 to $1000, a fairly large spread. In the 'modern' class of 45s we tested, quite a few SASS members probably already own such a handgun, and interested shooters from other disciplines may jump in to shoot Wild Bunch matches. In this class, we tested the Springfield Loaded Model PX9109LP 45 ACP, $1035, which was more than a GI pistol with good features.

(GunReports.com) -- A Chappell Hill (TX) bank has posted a sign on its front door welcoming licensed carry gunowners into the bank. A story in the Brenham (TX) Banner-Press said that about a month ago, Chappell Hill Bank president Edward Smith looked at a sign on the front door prohibiting concealed weapons from his business and decided to make a policy change.

One of the major reasons hunters choose a 20 gauge over a 12 gauge is the former's smaller frame, weight, and recoil. Though they may already own a 12, many field sportsmen wind up reaching for their 20s because the smaller gun is just easier to handle, and there are just a few hunting situations—layback goose hunting and spring turkey hunting, to name two—in which the bigger payload might make a difference.

The Remington Sportsman line has two 12s and three 20s. The 12s come in 26- and 28-inch barrels and weigh 8.1 pounds and 8.25 pounds respectively, compared to the weight of our test 28-inch-barrel gun, about a full pound lighter.

GunReports.com video from Crimson Trace: Conquering Low Light with Ken Hackathorn. Ken shows how the use of white light and laser sights can make you a better shooter in conditions most common in personal defense situations.

Improve your speed when removing and replacing your magazine in pressure scenarios with minimized, smooth movements. The speed at which you remove and replace your magazine in a fire fight can mean the difference between victory and disaster.

(GunReports.com) -- The South Korean government, in an effort to raise money for its military, wants to sell nearly a million antique M1 rifles that were used by U.S. soldiers in the Korean War to gun collectors in America.The Obama administration approved the sale of the American-made rifles last year. But it reversed course and banned the sale in March – a decision that went largely unnoticed at the time but that is now sparking opposition from gun rights advocates.

(GunReports.com) -- Former and current soldiers and civilians of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, along with members of the Military Marksmanship Association, will celebrate 54 years of success at a reunion Oct. 14-16 at Fort Benning, Ga.The USAMU was formed in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to raise the standards of marksmanship throughout the Army. The unit has won 23 Olympic medals, 41 World Championships, and more than 300 National and team championships.

(GunReports.com) – Mossberg International's new Tactical .22 parallels the look and feel of today’s AR-style rifle, though it's built around Mossberg International’s 702 autoloader. The Tactical .22 matches an 18” barrel to a quad rail forend, allowing the operator to fit the rifle with lights, lasers or other tactical accessories.

There are several versions of the Ruger MKIII, but we chose one of the plainest, with the 6-inch barrel. This blued Ruger was exceptionally well balanced, something we all noticed right away. We all loved the feel of the grips, too. The grip angle seemed just right for most of us, and the checkered plastic panels were mighty comfortable as well as functional.We’ve handled the 4-inch version of the Ruger Standard in the recent past and it didn’t balance nearly as well for us. The Ruger Standard is the gun that put Sturm, Ruger & Co. on the map. Introduced in 1949 and selling for $37.50 for many long years, it provided the background and basic building blocks for today’s huge Ruger operation. We’re not sure how many Ruger Standards have sold, but the numbers passed the million mark back in 1979. There have been a few changes to the gun over the years, and most changes may be seen as improvements. We found a few items of contention, however. First, the good stuff.

(GunReports.com) – The United States Army’s Joint Munitions and Lethality Contracting Center has awarded Remington a contract for the upgrade of up to 3,600 M24 Sniper Weapon Systems (SWS) to be classified as the M24E1. In the package is a new Leupold Mark 4 6.5-20x50mm Extended Range/Tactical (ER/T®) M5 Locking Adjustment riflescope.The major configuration change for this system is the caliber conversion from 7.62mm NATO (.308 Winchester) to .300 Winchester Magnum to provide soldier’s with additional precision engagement capability and range. The contract is for a five (5) year period and has guaranteed minimum value of $192K with a potential value of up to $28.2 million.

Tactical bolt-action rifles are pretty easy to spot. Typically, they utilize a composite stock with pronounced pistol grip, oversize bolt handle and fire from a heavy barrel. The military models are camouflage or earth tone in color, and the law-enforcement models are usually black. Accuracy, strength, and simplicity are key attributes. Can a tactical rifle serve as a hunting rifle? Were not saying one cant. Its just that a tactical rifle typically weighs more than a hunting model. The heavy barrel enhances the ability to maintain accuracy throughout repeat fire and excessive heat.

In addition, tactical rifles tend to be more suitable for longer distance shots and offer ergonomics that favor the prone position or other means of support. Compared to hunting rifles that feature adornments such as engravings or fancy wood, the tactical rifle is stark and businesslike. In this test, we evaluated a 308 Winchester aimed at the law-enforcement market and the $1899 Steyr Arms SSG69 PII 308 Winchester.