Editorial

We have upon us an election year. To ensure your continued ability to buy—and use—firearms, you owe it to yourself and your children to get out and vote. There are some tough contests coming up this year in some parts of the country, and they may come down to your ballot. I don’t know of any shooters who like politicians, but I know of no shooters who aren’t tied very closely to them, like it or not.

Another election, no less important, is also upon us. That is the NRA election. Whether you know it or not, there’s been some serious infighting (again) within the NRA. The current leadership has seen fit to give $200,000 worth of free advertising to their colleagues while using the same “pul...

Gun Tests subscriber, Lance A. Ito recently sent us a copy of a Washington Times editorial that is bound to give Charles Schumer, Josh Sugarman and the rest of the Brady Bunch a fit in their respective snits.

It related the downfall of a shotgun toting 17-year-old, Dervonne Marquise Moore, bent on cashing in at the expense of a Jacksonville, Florida, restaurant. According to the Times, as Mr. Moore allegedly ordered everyone to the floor and tried to force the waitress to open the cash register, 69-year-old Oscar Moore, no relation, pulled out his .22 Magnum revolver and shot him in the mid-section. Before the robber could change his order, a second patron, 81-year-old Robert Guerry, pul...

Until recently, Interarms distributed and serviced all Rossi firearms sold in the United States and Canada. According to some sources, the reason they no longer hold the contract was due to a total management change at Rossi. According to others, it was Rossi's serious debt and need for money. For whatever reason, the contract with Interarms was not renewed.

Around November of 1997, Rossi entered into negotiations and reached an agreement with Taurus of Brazil. Contrary to rumor, Taurus did not buy Rossi. The company continues as a manufacturer and marketer of long guns. What Taurus purchased was an undisclosed, but reportedly large, amount of Rossi's machinery to expand its South America...

Are you doing everything you can to promote firearms safety? Penalty for non-compliance could be your right to bear arms.

Recent incidents where gun-toting youths shot, killed or injured their classmates leave us all shocked and bewildered. Nothing, ever, can justify the taking of innocent life and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.

As tragic as these incidents are, random shootings also impact legitimate firearms ownership. It’s not too far a reach to suggest that a public groundswell of anger and grief over these senseless acts could have a negative impact on your second amendment freedoms. Could the revulsion we all feel over these crimes spark the...

Here is a very brief mention of some new guns coming up that we’re sure will be of interest. Watch for ‘em at your dealer and in Gun Tests.

Colt’s will soon be into production with their double-action-only Z40, a semiautomatic pistol design made in close conjunction with CZ of Czechoslovakia. The new Colt Cowboy single-action revolver is also coming along. Colt will also continue to offer the original Single Action Army, but some industry insiders seem to think Colt should stick with just their original SAA and figure out how to make it the old way, for a better price. Colt dropped the DS-II in .38 Special, one of which we tested for this issue. The new .357 Magnum version looks just the...

Here is a very brief mention of some new guns coming up that we’re sure will be of interest. Watch for ‘em at your dealer and in Gun Tests.

Colt’s will soon be into production with their double-action-only Z40, a semiautomatic pistol design made in close conjunction with CZ of Czechoslovakia. The new Colt Cowboy single-action revolver is also coming along. Colt will also continue to offer the original Single Action Army, but some industry insiders seem to think Colt should stick with just their original SAA and figure out how to make it the old way, for a better price. Colt dropped the DS-II in .38 Special, one of which we tested for this issue. The new .357 Magnum version looks just the...

Col. Rex Applegate died in San Diego on 14 July, 1998, of a stroke complicated by pneumonia. He was 84. Many of you may not be aware of Applegate’s immense contributions to the firearms industry and to shooters. A brief discussion here can’t cover them all, but we can touch the highlights.

During World War II, Applegate was responsible for setting up the combat training for the U.S. OSS (Office of Strategic Services). The OSS eventually became today’s CIA. During that war, Applegate trained in England with Commandos and Special Operations forces. He went on combat operations with them on the Continent, without the knowledge or approval of his U.S. superiors. What better way to learn a c...

Freedom Arms is about to bring out a five-shot .45 Long Colt revolver based on their very successful small-frame gun, first chambered as a six-shooter for the .357 Magnum. We understand Freedom is considering chambering the .475 Linebaugh in their full-size guns, now that Buffalo Bore Ammunition offers both loaded ammunition and components for both the .475 and .500 Linebaugh cartridges. If you want a Freedom in .475 Linebaugh, call ‘em at 307-883-2468 and let ‘em know.

Buffalo Bore Ammunition also offers some very interesting loads in .45 Long Colt and .44 Magnum, in addition to their Linebaugh ammunition. Both labeled “HVY,” and featuring either cast or jacketed bullets, these are hot-l...

Freedom Arms is about to bring out a five-shot .45 Long Colt revolver based on their very successful small-frame gun, first chambered as a six-shooter for the .357 Magnum. We understand Freedom is considering chambering the .475 Linebaugh in their full-size guns, now that Buffalo Bore Ammunition offers both loaded ammunition and components for both the .475 and .500 Linebaugh cartridges. If you want a Freedom in .475 Linebaugh, call ‘em at 307-883-2468 and let ‘em know.

Buffalo Bore Ammunition also offers some very interesting loads in .45 Long Colt and .44 Magnum, in addition to their Linebaugh ammunition. Both labeled “HVY,” and featuring either cast or jacketed bullets, these are hot-l...

I can still see him, eyes squinting, smiling, sixguns in hand, as Dale Evans sang the song. He waited until Dale sang the words, “Shoot, cowboy!” and tossed a glass ball upward. Roy Rogers shot and broke each in turn, never losing his peaceful smile. Man, how I loved it! I was about six or eight years old, and Dad had taken me to see Roy and Dale, live, in person, at the old Sports Arena in Toledo, Ohio. Even Trigger, Roy’s amazing horse, was there. Roy was my idol and there he was, right in front of me on the stage. Wow!

I remember that scene like it was yesterday, but it’s been half a century since I saw it.

A few months later, Dad took me to see the Gene Autry show. Dad and I were w...

Much recreational shooting easily falls into traps of a sort, in that we practice certain types of shooting and leave some vital experiments out of our practice—stuff that could come in mighty handy some day.

For example, many common tests involve how well a person can shoot a handgun at, say, 15 or perhaps 25 yards. This is all well and good, and certainly shows us either our own personal limitations or — if we are among the very best handgunners — the limitations of the handgun. This shows us where the gun hits, which is very important with fixed-sight pistols. Yet do we know where the gun hits at, say, three feet? Can we take the head off a snake or put the bullet within half an inch o...

The hunting seasons are now upon us, and we hope you’re ready. Of course, you’ve got your rifle all ready to go, lots of ammunition loaded for it, and it’s all sighted in. Or is it?

How many of you have made the very common error of using cheap ammunition to sight in your rifle, being careful to use the very same bullet weight you’ll be using in your premium hunting ammunition? If you think the two different loads — the inexpensive stuff and the premium-bullet expensive hunting ammunition — will shoot to the exact same point of impact, you’re almost certainly wrong. Here’s why.

The two types of loads will use different powders and achieve different pressures, the barrel vibration and...