Viewpoints

In response to Bob Campbell’s reply in the November issue concerning the availability of the 380 Hornady Critical Defense load for testing, as a new reader to Gun Tests I am a little confused. I was under the impression that Gun Tests evaluated products to inform its readers of the best product on the market at the time of that particular testing. If so, how could you evaluate 380 ammo without including the Hornady Critical Defense load? With the popularly of the 380 for concealed carry, should not the test of the 380 be postponed until you had the best ammo to evaluate?

In response to Bob Campbell’s reply in the November issue concerning the availability of the 380 Hornady Critical Defense load for testing, as a new reader to Gun Tests I am a little confused. I was under the impression that Gun Tests evaluated products to inform its readers of the best product on the market at the time of that particular testing. If so, how could you evaluate 380 ammo without including the Hornady Critical Defense load? With the popularly of the 380 for concealed carry, should not the test of the 380 be postponed until you had the best ammo to evaluate?

Following an unprecedented and robust midterm NSSF Voter Education campaign, including the establishment of an NSSF Political Action Committee, the 2010 elections proved to be exceptionally strong for pro-industry candidates at both the federal and state levels. In the election, Republicans took back control of the House of Representatives while picking up six seats in the Senate and 10 governorships.

Check out these new videos on GunReports.com:* Larry Potterfield, Founder and CEO of MidwayUSA, demonstrates the process of installing a set of Uncle Mikes brand swivel studs in a Winchester Model 67 riflestock.* NSSF's Lawrence G. Keane responds to recent erroneous news reports concerning America's firearms industry and Mexico.* The VTAC Battle Belt adapts to a wide range of holsters and accessory pouches.

This JFPO video, 'No Guns for Jews,' is a major breakthrough that can push back 'gun control' at this critical time in America. This extended clip, furnished courtesy of JFPO, goes through the historical actions taken by various governments to strip Jewish populations of their gun rights, with disastrous and deadly consequences.

By the time you read this, the midterm elections will have come and gone. Regardless of the outcomes, it will have been a historic election year. What has already happened on the front lines of the gun-rights movement is amazing. Here are a few things to note: The National Rifle Association has taken lots of dings from inside and outside its membership. NRA sought, and got, special provisions in the unpassed Disclose Act, which would have compelled many groups to disclose the names of their contributors if those groups sought to exercise their 1st Amendment rights to speak out politically.

A double rifle for $5500? It can't be very good, we thought, when our neighbor phoned us to tell us he had just bought an Italian Sabatti Model 92 Deluxe rifle, new from Cabela's for that price, in caliber 450/400.

The cartridge is an excellent one for double rifles. It's known as the 450/400 3-inch or the 400 Jeffery. There is also a 3.25-inch version that was originally a blackpowder cartridge, but the 3-inch version was never factory loaded with black powder. It is one of the lower-pressure British cartridges, along with the 470 and 360 No. 2, and thus is an excellent choice for a double rifle, especially if it's to be used in extreme heat. The cartridge was one of the more popular all-around cartridges for hunting use when it was introduced in 1902. Its popularity suffered when the 375 H&H Magnum came along a few years later, but the 400 Jeff throws a heavier bullet, 400 grains versus 300, and some hunters prefer that.

We went to look at our neighbor's rifle, and then arranged to shoot it. What follows are our impressions and observations of what we now consider to be a bargain.

By the time you read this, the midterm elections will have come and gone. Regardless of the outcomes, it will have been a historic election year. What has already happened on the front lines of the gun-rights movement is amazing. Here are a few things to note: The National Rifle Association has taken lots of dings from inside and outside its membership. NRA sought, and got, special provisions in the unpassed Disclose Act, which would have compelled many groups to disclose the names of their contributors if those groups sought to exercise their 1st Amendment rights to speak out politically.

I carried the Model 36 S&W for three decades as both an on- and off-duty gun. I bobbed the hammer early on and had an occasional failure to fire with some practice ammo. I had the department armorer advise me that bobbing the hammer reduced the weight of the hammer, thus reducing the strike force of the hammer, causing light strikes on older or less-sensitive-primer ammo. I had him replace my bobbed hammer with a factory replacement bobbed hammer, and the problem ended. He told me the factory replacement bobbed hammer was the same weight as the original-issue unbobbed hammer, therefore the impact energy to the primer was always sufficient to reliably ignite the rounds.

I carried the Model 36 S&W for three decades as both an on- and off-duty gun. I bobbed the hammer early on and had an occasional failure to fire with some practice ammo. I had the department armorer advise me that bobbing the hammer reduced the weight of the hammer, thus reducing the strike force of the hammer, causing light strikes on older or less-sensitive-primer ammo. I had him replace my bobbed hammer with a factory replacement bobbed hammer, and the problem ended. He told me the factory replacement bobbed hammer was the same weight as the original-issue unbobbed hammer, therefore the impact energy to the primer was always sufficient to reliably ignite the rounds.

I carried the Model 36 S&W for three decades as both an on- and off-duty gun. I bobbed the hammer early on and had an occasional failure to fire with some practice ammo. I had the department armorer advise me that bobbing the hammer reduced the weight of the hammer, thus reducing the strike force of the hammer, causing light strikes on older or less-sensitive-primer ammo. I had him replace my bobbed hammer with a factory replacement bobbed hammer, and the problem ended. He told me the factory replacement bobbed hammer was the same weight as the original-issue unbobbed hammer, therefore the impact energy to the primer was always sufficient to reliably ignite the rounds.

(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.