Stats
I love your publication; it always impresses me with the thoroughness of your tests. However, when you test a gun, you always downgrade it if you have malfunctions (failure to feed, failure to eject, etc.) I have owned many S&W M&P pistols in 9mm and 45 ACP. I have found them to be reliable and easy to take down. However, when I bought my first 9mm Shield, it always failed to eject a round in every magazine I loaded. Different ammunition made no difference. It was certain to fail to eject at least one round in every magazine. I sent it back to S&W, and they replaced the barrel. The gun has been flawless since the repair. This has got me thinking that by downgrading a gun in your tests, it gives the impression that all guns of that model might be subject to malfunctions. Are there any stats on the overall quality of a manufacturer? For example, does S&W manufacture guns with a certain quality standard in mind, like 99.99% good? No matter how good the manufacturing process is, there are bound to be flawed examples that make it to the public. This doesn’t mean that their quality is poor. — George
Hey George: Of course you’re right. But that door swings both ways. There’s no guarantee that a gun we review positively will all work like our sample. That’s the problem with sampling. You never know if a particular gun is representative of the universe of those guns. But a test shows tens of thousands of readers things to look for if they buy a gun we recommend — expected accuracy, fit and finish, function success, to name a few things. And if they go against editorial advice and buy a dog, well, I almost always hear the negative side of the story. And I’m sure that individual manufacturers keep QC stats for internal use, and retailers know what guns are coming back to them with issues. A good retailer won’t want to sell you a bad gun knowingly because it will just cause trouble and eat up time downstream. — Todd Woodard
Talking Turkey
Hey, Todd, my most recent issue of Gun Tests had a letter from a fellow regarding guns made in Turkey. The tone of his letter seemed to cast aspersions upon the country for some reason. Turkey is a NATO member, and if its leadership seems a bit “tough” by Western standards, it’s because it is literally at the crossroads of East and West, and requires strong national identity to rebuff extremism. It is not a country identified with the same brand of religious zeal as many of the more unsettled ones. Kamal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey in the 1920s, specifically separated religion from civic life, unlike some others in the region. I have a 1911 GI-like clone and a CZ clone from Turkish factories, and the quality is very high for the price, which is a function of the advantageous exchange rate of our respective currencies. Thanks, and may our President be safe! — Art
Hey Art: We agree with you. If we took geopolitical aspects into consideration for our tests, we’d have a lot fewer guns to evaluate. Readers can make up their own minds about how politics affect what firearms they buy. — tw
Re “22-Caliber Bolt-Action Rifles: Ruger vs. Springfield Armory,” February 2025
I enjoyed this comparison of 22 LR bolt-action rifles from Ruger and Springfield. I’ve been a reader for many years and continue to value the reviews of various firearms. I have recently purchased a Bergara B14R and am very pleased with its accuracy. I mounted a Vortex Viper 3-15x scope and Atlas bipod on it. I know this rifle is above the price point of the two you tested, but the accuracy will amaze folks. I don’t recall if you have tested the Bergara previously; if not, it may be an interesting review. The two targets in the attached photo are at 100 yards. Top target is 20 rounds of Eley Match, bottom is 20 rounds of Eley Team. — Dan
Hey Dan: That’s nice shooting. We did test the B14R in the June 2022 issue, giving it an A grade and making it Our Pick. — tw
