Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2015 i Gun Digest

Gun Digest|August 2015

The Art of Home Defense

During a recent trip to the famed Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Arizona, I had the opportunity to tour the residence of the late Col. Jeff Cooper, Gunsite founder and father of the “Modern Technique of the Pistol.” We were hosted by Cooper’s widow, Janelle, who energetically explained the design features of the home. Cooper was a master of defensive pistolcraft, but his residence, built on the Gunsite grounds, is a key reminder for anyone who takes home defense seriously: It’s about much more than the gun. Cooper designed his “Sconce,” or fortress, to be utterly defensible and to give himself the ultimate advantage against intruders. As a student of residential architecture and its application for defense, Cooper employed known design elements from around the world to fortify his dwelling place.…

2 min

Gun Digest|August 2015

12-Gauge Shotshell

If there is one shotshell that holds all titles as most versatile, most popular, and most varied in loading, the 12-gauge is it. Except for the .22 rimfire, by almost any measure the 12-gauge is the most popular sporting chambering ever offered. It is commonly available and loaded with shot made of lead, steel, tungsten/iron, tungsten/ polymer, or bismuth. Current shot charges range from about 7/8-ounce to 2½ ounces. Common shot sizes range from No. 9 through 000 Buck. Slugs are typically 1 ounce or 1¼ ounce, but other weights are available. Further, it is relatively simple to have a moderately sized batch of custom loaded 12-gauge ammunition (with either an odd-sized shot or reduced velocity), produced by a major manufacturer. To gain a true perspective, just consider that, at…

1 min

Gun Digest|August 2015

AR vs Shotgun

Choosing a weapon for home defense is a serious matter, and as far as I’m concerned, a handgun should be an integral part of any home defense plan. Why? Unlike a shotgun or an AR, handguns are easy to keep with you at all times. With a long gun, you’ll have to go fetch it when the balloon goes up. A handgun, however, does not constitute a comprehensive home defense plan. Handguns are personal defense weapons, and while one might very well be needed during a home protection scenario, if a long gun is wielded with authority and precision, the handgun will remain in its holster. Basic Differences The shotgun has long been a popular weapon for home defense. Some would argue this is due to its suitability to the…

6 min

Gun Digest|August 2015

Feel Da Boom

There is a world of hunting shotguns, replete with high-end autoloaders and beautifully filigreed double barrels, as well as budget pumps and Realtree covered turkey guns. Then there is the tactical shotgun world, full of black-as-black-can-be pumps and semi-autos covered in rail segments topped with high-end red dots, with pistol grips and stocks that adjust and fold. In between is the gray area of the home defense shotgun. If you ask some, the perfect shotgun for home defense is a simple, old school double barrel with two rounds of 00 buck ready to rock. It’s classic, pretty immune to user error and intimidating. But it’s a clunker to reload—if you remembered to grab a couple extra shells while patrolling the house in your underwear, after being awoken in the dark…

8 min

Gun Digest|August 2015

GUN DIGEST DIGITAL

Celebrate seven decades of the definitive resource for firearms enthusiasts with Gun Digest 2016, 70th Annual Edition. Catch up on the latest gun trends through thoroughly researched articles penned by some of the globe’s most recognized firearms and ammunition authorities. Articles encompass a wide range of intriguing aspects of the shooting sports, including historical perspectives, testings, and real-world reviews, and annual reports on the most recent trends in guns, ammunition, optics, and reloading components. GET YOURS AT GUNDIGESTSTORE.COM SEARCH ITEM NUMBER T6948 & SAVE! BLOGS Lighting Up Your Handgun with Tritium Sights Most factory handgun sights are all right, until the lights get dimmed. From then on, tritium sights reign supreme. The trouble with most factory handgun sights is when it gets dark, you can’t see them, unless you possess…

1 min

Gun Digest|August 2015

CARRY Without Compromise

In the late 2000s, Heckler & Koch of Germany introduced the U.S. to its P30 semiautomatic pistol, a double-action, polymer-framed pistol with a high-capacity magazine and a revolutionary polygonal barrel. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and the P30 became a hit with American shooters who appreciated its high level of engineering and fastidious attention to detail. After all, HK’s catchphrase is Keine Kompromisse!, or “No Compromise!” for those not fluent in German. Since the slick German semi-auto was so successful stateside, it seemed only natural that HK would target the burgeoning American concealed carry market. And it did, just not right away. The HK P30SK (SubKompact) is a scaled down 9mm version of the popular P30 semi-auto. Even though the P30SK simply looks like a shrunken P30, it took HK…

9 min

Gun Digest|August 2015

Gun owners set to get free survival food

Farmers vow to keep up with the rush to supply every gun owner who calls toll free and beats the deadline to claim their free 72-hour survival food kit In a crisis, your number one need is food. But not just any food. What everyone needs is good-for-25-years survival food that you can rely on when the time comes that food is scarce. Well right now – in what is truly an unprecedented move – 72-hour Food4Patriots survival food kits are being given away to readers who are gun owners as long as they call a special toll-free hotline and beat the program deadline. “This is all happening because we’re worried that the people in Washington have an agenda that is about more than just guns and ammo,” explained Frank…

3 min

Gun Digest|August 2015

WHY ADD A LASER?

After unpacking the P30SK from its box, my next step was to mount a Crimson Trace Rail Master green laser on the short picatinny rail. Lasers have grown in popularity with law enforcement and competitive shooters as well as CCW permit holders and backyard shooters, and for good reason. Lasers provide an excellent sighting system, especially in low-light conditions (and most violent attacks don’t happen at midday in a well-lit area). I didn’t realize how effective lasers were in dark conditions until I shot targets in near total darkness at the Crimson Trace facility in Wilsonville, Oregon, and one such display of just how hard it can be to hit targets in low light with traditional sights is sufficient to help understand why more and more law enforcement and military…

1 min

Gun Digest|August 2015

First Look SIG Sauer MCX

SIG Sauer has long been an innovator in the firearms industry, but in the past couple of years the company has pushed the limits of innovation with some of its new products. One of these groundbreaking new additions for 2015 is the MCX, which represents a major development in terms of firearm modularity. Built around SIG’s reliable, gas-operated, short-stroke piston system, the SIG Sauer MCX comes with several features designed to make it as mission-adaptable as possible. The first of these is an auto-regulating gas system that allows shooters to switch between supersonic and subsonic loads, or unsuppressed and suppressed operation, without manually adjusting the gas settings. There is no change in reliability when transitioning between these loads or operations. In addition, the MCX’s modular design easily configures to chamber…

2 min

Gun Digest|August 2015

Fast-Access Gun Safes

A gun will only defend you and your family if it’s accessible in the moment of need. Thanks to a host of fast-access gun safes, you can rest assured your favorite home defense firearm is just a finger swipe—or a quick numeric code—away. Whether you prefer a revolver, semi-automatic handgun, shotgun or even your trusty AR, there’s a safe available that allows you to have peace of mind. You can keep your favorite firearm away from curious kids, snooping guests and criminals alike while gaining nearly instant access in case of emergency. 1. BROWNING PV-1000 One of the most trusted names in firearms offers one of the most trusted products in gun safes. Browning’s PV-1000 isn’t just tough—it’s packed with features. It has enough room for a couple of handguns…

4 min

Gun Digest|August 2015

Build The Ultimate Home Defense Plan

Home invasion. There is possibly no more terrifying incident to imagine than an attack on your home, your castle, the one place on earth where you should feel safe. Like any other environment, your home presents an opportunity for a sociopath to advance his warped agenda, whether that be theft, kidnapping, sexual assault, murder or a combination of all the above. The odds of any one home or family becoming the victim of such a vicious crime are remote—until it happens to you. Like any other safety issue, acceptance and preparation are the keys to avoiding or surviving a home invasion event. In 31 years of law enforcement, I’ve seen the unlawful entry of another’s home for the purpose of committing a crime therein take a variety of shapes. There’s…

5 min

Gun Digest|August 2015

Market Trends

Glock 43 and M&P-9 Carbon Handguns Setting the Pace Don Hanna—Portland Gun Store, Clackamas, Oreg., PortlandGunStore.com Concealed carry handguns are big sellers right now at the Portland Gun Store, according to owner Don Hanna, including the new 9mm Glock 43. Priced at $475, Hanna said he can’t keep the nifty little Glocks on the gun counter because they sell so fast. “The carbon fiber, striker-fired handguns are picking up speed, too,” he added. “The Smith & Wesson M&P-9 Carbon Fiber is one that is moving very well for us, at $579.” There’s a good local market for 1911-style semi-automatic pistols, too. “We sell about an equal number of Colts, Remingtons and Ruger 1911’s. Name recognition and price point are still number one factor, especially with our first-time buyers.”…

5 min