Recreational

Brownells makes it very easy for any shooter, experienced or not, to convert his Ruger Mini-14 into a tricked-out rifle that meets your exacting wants and needs. The first step in this customization process is to determine what I am going to use the rifle for. Foremost, I wanted this rifle for varmint hunting, particularly night-time hunting. My secondary use is for self-defense purposes at home.

This neat unit gives excellent performance. It is a good option for the Glock fan wishing to dedicate one of his pistols to the carbine concept. Commonality of trigger action is a strong point, as well as commonality with magazines. On the basis of affordability, it is a good choice, if you already have the Glock pistol on hand.

After nearly a decade since its initial introduction into the firearms marketplace, production on Arsenal’s SLR-106 series has officially ended.

To answer a number of questions concerning the performance of the 1911 pistol, the Gun Tests South Carolina test unit obtained a Rock Island Armory Standard GI No. 51421 45 ACP, $410, and a Kimber Eclipse Target II 45 ACP, $1393, in what originally seemed to be a price mismatch.

Because the targets are flatter and thicker than standard clays in order to withstand rolling on the ground without shattering, the clays often require a little harder hit before shooters can prove they are masters of "rascally rabbits."

All Mossberg autoloaders available are gas operated. Each bleeds a set amount of gas from the ignition of the shotshell, down through a port in the barrel to function the action. The oldest of these guns, the Model 5500, requires the shooter to change barrels when switching from non-Magnum to Magnum loads. Two updated 5500s—the new Model 6000 and the Maverick 60—will continue to do so. A totally new Mossberg, the Model 9200, allows free interchange of ammunition without changing barrels.

Gun Tests’ Idaho-based test team takes a detailed look at two two historical and technically interesting firearms in the June 2013 issue of the magazine. Sr. Technical Editor Ray Ordorica examined the 9mm Wise Lite Arms Sterling L2A3 9mm, about $500, and the Inter Ordnance/Pioneer Arms PPS-43C Pistol chambered in 7.62x25 Tokarev, also in the $500 range.

A Gun Tests magazine August 2010 review on the Ruger SR9C notes that it fires from a 3.5-inch barrel. That makes it the smallest, most concealable, pistol in the test. But if you remove the 10-round magazine and insert the 17-rounder, the grip will become longer by about 1 inch.

At the 2013 NRA Annual Meetings, Stoeger introduced 20-gauge models to the Longfowler Series of double-barrel shotguns, available in both side-by-side (SxS) and over/under (O/U) models. The Longfowler Series features 30-inch barrels and walnut stocks and forends that sport a weather-resistant stained oil-finish.

Uberti introduced a new caliber for the Silverboy small-bore lever-action rifle at NRAAM. The 22 Magnum Silverboy lever action uses a unique cartridge-control mechanism inside the action so that the gun can be fired and cycled while held at any angle, even when upside down.

The Thompson/Center Arms Dimension Bolt-Action Platform has received the Golden Bullseye Award for “Rifle of the Year” from American Hunter magazine, published by the National Rifle Association. This year’s nomination marks the fourth time Thompson/Center Arms has received the prestigious award in the rifle category with past winners including the Encore Pro Hunter, ICON and Venture rifles.

Franchi’s new Affinity Sporting is an Inertia Driven 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun featuring a brushed nickel anodized receiver and 30-inch barrel. The Affinity Sporting weighs in at a little over 7 pounds. The Affinity Sporting’s 30-inch barrel sports a stepped, ventilated-rib, red fiber optic front sight and a set of three extended choke tubes.