9mm Carbines: Hi-Point Takes On Ruger In Self-Defense Showdown
Without actually seeing the subjects of this month's test, we imagined these two 9mm carbines as being a poor man's AR-15, or perhaps an MP5. The two short rifles in question are in fact the $575 Ruger PC9, which operates from magazines common to Ruger's P85-95 series pistols, and Hi-Point's 9mm Carbine, $199. The Hi-Point cuts the figure of the type of machine pistol one envisions in the hands of SWAT or Special Forces. The Ruger, on the other hand, closely resembles a military rifle from the 1940s. Its profile is of a classic rifle punctuated by a long, narrow magazine hanging just ahead of the trigger guard.
Scouting Out Two Scout Rifles: Steyr, Savage Go Head To Head
Bottom line: Save your money and buy the utilitarian Savage unless you're bound and determined to own the very nice Steyr.
Lever-Action Hunting Rimfires: Ruger, Browning, And Marlin
Lever-action rimfires are among the industry's most entertaining products, whether for big kids or little kids. Suitable for small-game use and plinking, they have the capacity of autoloaders if the game is walking a tin can to a backstop, or they have the accuracy to knock a squirrel out of a tree at 50 paces. They're also easy to carry and accept scopes without fuss.
Precision Test: FN Puts Robar, Dakota, and Autauga To Shame
The Fulton Armory .308 was one-third to one-fourth the cost of other long-range rifles, but it shot as well, or better than, other guns we've tested in the category.
Light & Lighter: The Carbon 15 Packs A Wallop Without Heft
At 4.3 pounds, Professional Ordnance's Carbon 15 is the lightest AR15, and it's a very good one. Bushmaster's lightest rifle, the XM15-E2S, is also worth a close look.
.45-70 Single-Shot Rifles: Can Ruger, Browning Outdo Shiloh?
Back in February of this year we tested a group of Sharps rifles by Shiloh, Cabela's and Cimarron. We found that although the other two versions were nice, we felt the price and several-years' wait necessary for the Shiloh Sharps were well justified, because it was the nicest Sharps rifle of the bunch. But can you get a good .45-70 single shot that's not a Sharps, and would you want to? Let's find out.
We obtained a nearly new Ruger No. 1S and a brand-new Browning 1885, both in .45-70, to test against our previous best single-shot, the Shiloh Sharps. These two rifles, while contemporary, both resemble — at least slightly — older rifles from the time of the Sharps. They were not precise copies of earlier rifles, though the Browning came close. We wanted to see how well they'd hold up to the Shiloh Sharps's quality, and to see if they were better buys for you, the lover of single shot .45-70s.
The two newer guns had a tough opponent in the Shiloh, as we noted in the February 2001 issue. The feel of the Shiloh's action was like that of a fine watch. It opened with precision, and shut like the old bank-vault door. There were no machining marks visible anywhere. The inletting was perfection. The sights could be whatever you wanted them to be and agreed to pay for, except (as far as we could tell) there were no provisions for modern scope mounting. Accuracy with the costly aperture sights that were fitted on our test sample was all we could hold for in the dismal light conditions in which we tested this rifle. The better we could see and hold and squeeze, the tighter were our groups.
This was the standard against which we gauged the Browning and the Ruger's performances. How did they do? Read on to find out:
Long-Barreled .22 Revolvers: Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and Dan Wesson
Ruger's New Model Single Six Convertible is a bargain, and the Smith & Wesson 617 will help you rule the plate racks. The seemingly solid Dan Wesson 722 VH10 disappoints.
Ruger 10/22 Upgrades: More Money Means More Accuracy
We tested four variants of the Ruger 10/22 rifle from Magnum Research, Clark's, Briley, and even the Sturm, Ruger factory and found four different ways to make one hole.
Surplus Rifles: Buy One, Think About Another, Pass On Two
Want to hold a piece of history in your hands for not a lot of money? First, check out our buy/don't buy recommendations on two 7.62 NATO guns, an 8mm Mauser, and a .303 British Enfield.
.270 Winchester Bolt Actions: A Lot of Bang For Your Bucks
When we tested three inexpensive hunting rifles suitable for a range of big-game field use, we were pleasantly surprised at their accuracy and functionality.
Lightweight AR-15 Carbines: Is One Of These Right For You?
We liked the spirit of the Spirit Light-Weight, and mastered the Bushmaster Shorty, but at more than $2,300, the Wilson UT-15 Urban Tactical simply cost too much for us to recommend.
Trim .308 Hunting Carbines: We Pick Brownings A-Bolt II Stalker
For serious big-game pursuits, the fit and functionality of Browning's easy-to-carry rifle outdid the Remington Model Seven SS and Ruger M77RL MKII models, in our opinion.