Recreational

(GunReports.com) -- The pump action is a very popular shotgun type, mainly for its ease of operation and its ruggedness. While a self-loader may be a bit faster in trained hands, the point is debatable. Expensive autoloaders are reliable, but in the end a dirty or well-used pump is always more reliable than a dirty autoloader. We recently tested an affordable pump—the H&R Pardner, a basic copy of the Remington 870 design beneath the humpback receiver. We bought the gun at Academy Sports, a giant sporting chain that offers rifles, pistols, and shotguns as well as other sporting goods. We were surprised to see the pump-action shotgun listed for less than $200 in an Academy Sports sales paper—it was listed at $180.

Our team gathered and shot the gun using 2.75-inch Winchester Super Target loads (1-ounce charge of No. 8 shot, 2.75-dram equivalent, 1180 fps muzzle velocity) and also a new steel trap load, the Winchester Xpert Game/Target load WE12GT7, a 2.75-inch 12 gauge with 11‚ÅÑ8 ounces of No. 7s, Max dram, developing 1280 fps, according to Winchester.

(GunReports.com) -– Kahr Arms's 100th Anniversary Edition 1911 from Auto-Ordnance will debut at SHOT Show 2011 in January. The 100th Anniversary Edition is a .45 caliber classic style WWII Parkerized 1911 pistol with a 5” barrel. A special engraving on the slide will read “1911 .45 ACP, 1911-2011, 100 Years”.

Americans want good looks and cheap prices, and the Rossi Gallery Rifle meets those criteria. Here's how to solve problems related to this low-cost rifle.

These relatively simple instructions from the American Gunsmithing Library will get you through the disassembly and troubleshooting of all the various Marlin lever-action 336 models, as well as the 30 and 36.

Whenever we hear the term “package deal” we can’t help feeling this will be synonymous with compromise. At only $449 for rifle and scope, we feared we were in for a disappointment. But the Savage 110 GXP3 was a lesson in how to and where to save money.The walnut stock was pleasingly sculpted and stained to a smooth low-gloss finish that highlighted its grain. Lacking a grip cap and featuring pressed, not cut, checkering, this was still a tasteful piece of woodwork.

In 1893, Savage patented the first truly hammerless lever-action rifle. This streamlined rifle differed from the Winchester and Marlin lever-action rifles of the same era in that it used a rotary magazine that allowed the use of ballistically superior pointed-nose bullets. All of the other lever-actions of this period used a tubular magazine. The tubular magazine meant that cartridges were fed into the tube with bullet nose to primer, necessitating the use of blunt-nosed bullets to avoid a chain-fire situation. By 1895, Savage's rifle was in full production as the Model 95. Around 1899, a few small design improvements were made and, since then, the design has remained relatively the same—one of the "bread and butter" firearms of this company.

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.

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.

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.

I must admit that Browning has one strong reason in its favor for not telling the company's customers how to take their BLRs apart. Disassembling and reassembling this rifle should only be done by a knowledgeable, qualified gunsmith—even for cleaning—because doing it incorrectly may cause damage to parts. So Browning chooses to avoid all references to taking the gun apart. In fact, it says in the gun's manual, "If your rifle requires service, contact your local recommended Browning Firearms Service Center." This means gun shops will be getting these rifles in for repairs and cleaning, and you need to know how to take them apart the right way, or you will find yourself telling your customer that you are sorry, but he is going to have to wait until a new part arrives. Here's what you need to know about fixing the lever-action Model 81 Brownings:

According to the manufacturer, the Glock pistol was the first "industrially manufactured handgun with high-tech polymer grips." The barrels and slides are coated with what Glock describes as a "high-tech surface refinement" that they call Tenifer. The benefits of this "carbonitriding" coating are not only corrosion resistance and reduced glare but also resistance to abrasion. Tenifer coating is highly rated on the Rockwell Cone hardness scale at 64 HRC.

Some Glock pistols are available with different color frames, but our G34 was basic black. The defining feature of the G34 was its long 5.3-inch barrel with polygonal rifling, covered by a slide that included a gaping hole just to the rear of the front sight. This relief measured approximately 1.75 inches long by 0.75 inches wide. Glock says that this serves to reduce stress on the frame. The dustcover beneath the slide was also longer, making room for a healthy sized accessory rail, which was molded into place. The schematic breakdown of the Glock pistol with magazine lists only 34 separate parts, 36 if you count the magazine insert at the base plate (part 32a), and the front sight blade, part number 16a.

The Mil Spec model is in some ways a commemorative pistol without getting gaudy or expensive. It has classic styling including a basic military style grip safety and solid hammer tang.