Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2020 i Gun Digest

Why do you like revolvers so much? I think I know—because my answer is very likely exactly the same—but I’m wondering if you do. So, do you know? I’m aware that this might sound “accusatory,” and I should maybe be asking, “Do you like revolvers?” But I already know the answer. As a “platform,” revolvers supersede all barriers of personal bias: If you’re a gun person, you’ll pull a double take every time a big iron (or a little iron) catches your eye. Because of readers who enjoy the wheelgun features and reviews within the pages of Gun Digest the Magazine, GD’s books, and the Gun Digest Pinter-est and Facebook pages, engagement with everything having anything to do with revolvers is through the roof. Always. But exactly why is that?…

01 Ruger Custom Shop GP100 9mm The Ruger Custom Shop has turned out some stunning upgraded models of shooter favorites. It might have outdone itself with the second GP100 to roll out of its workshop. A competitor’s delight, the 9mm wheelgun boasts the extras that should make it a bear in competition, including polished and optimized internals, a centering boss on the trigger and centering shims on the hammer. This trio produces a smooth-as-glass trigger pull and a break as crisp as thin ice. It features a load of other bells and whistles—from a triple-locking cylinder to the Super Redhawk’s action and Hogue hardwood grips. Ruger didn’t get fancy with how the eight-round 9mm loads, however; it stuck with what works: moon clips. MSRP: $1,549 02 Magnum Research…

If ever there was a big-bore cartridge that has big terminal effectiveness without terminal recoil, it’s the .480 Ruger, introduced in 2001. Its actual diameter is .475 inch, and its cartridge features a 1.28-inch case. In essence, it’s a shorter .475 Linebaugh. Despite the rather high operating pressure (the SAAMI maximum pressure is 48,000 psi), this is a rather subdued round. While it would be intellectually dishonest to make the claim that the .480 Ruger offers the shooter a “maiden’s caress,” it’s considerably more pleasant to shoot than, let’s say, the .454 Casull, and it creates more of a push than the snappy recoil impulse offered by the .454. To date, some of the largest animals killed by the author have fallen to the mighty, but mild, .480 Ruger. If…

SHOT Show is a funny experience. You walk the 12.5 miles of exhibitors at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas over that third week in January. You handle, dry-fire and chat with product managers about dozens of new firearms. When you get back home, your jealous buddies ask, “What’s new?” You just shrug and say, “Uh, not much.” A week or two away from that virus-infested casino air, memories of the better guns handled and guns discussed always percolate up. For me, I couldn’t shake that feeling of palming the new rimfire revolver from Taurus: the Model 942. Here was an all-steel snubnose that had weight—a real gravitas in the hand—plus a great trigger, great grip, interchangeability with aftermarket sights and grips, and a deep bench of available holsters—all this…

Concealed carry calls the handgun market’s tune. So (a surprise to no one), when Kimber jumped into the revolver game four years ago, that’ss exactly what it blueprinted and milled out. The K6s, in its original iterations (all eight of them the first couple of years), wasn’t good for much more ... unless the Marquis de Sade in you revels banging away with a double-action-only knuckle-buster. Yet, Kimber’s snubbies struck a chord, offering something a bit different than what pocket gun aficionados have seen in a spell: style, effectiveness and, above all, cold, hard steel. The company also served up something else—the perfect platform to mature an entire revolver line. For all intents and purposes, that happened this year. Creeping along, Kimber has grown the K6s line in number and…

For this bit of instruction, we’re going to ignore reloading with loose rounds, such as from a box or bucket ... or (horrors!) a pocket. As far as equipment is concerned, you’ve got two choices for doing it quickly: first, a gizmo called a “speed-loader.” This holds six rounds in a pattern identical to the diameter and spacing of the cylinder. This is important, because there’s no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to speedloaders. You need one specific to your wheelgun. The other piece of equipment is a “moon clip,” which can be a half-moon or a full-moon version. Obviously, a half-moon holds a half-cylinder full of bullets, and a full moon clip ... well, full. There are two, solid, dependable methods of loading, along with one that’s faster but requires…

The grip your heavy-kicking revolver is equipped with matters. Whether it’s a double- or single-action, the handle you hang onto will make your revolver pleasant to shoot—and thereby controllable ... or not. Grip shape determines how the revolver will recoil. Double-actions tend to recoil straight back into the hand. The recoil dynamic of double-action revolvers differs significantly from that of single-actions. The single-actions have a propensity for flipping the muzzle upward. There are distinctly different types of single-action grips, but as a basic design and type (they’re all variations on the same theme), let’s refer to them as “plow handles.” These grip designs tend to point very naturally but, by design, they’ll pivot upward in your hand. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this grip type; however, when recoil climbs, they…

Every gun company has an aura about it. Some pinch pennies, while others insist you wear a dinner jacket before you handle their guns. O. F. Mossberg & Sons’ aura is neither. “From day one, the Mossberg philosophy was to design its products with the working class in mind,” said Mossberg’s Linda Powell. “Mossberg was a visionary from a marketing perspective, because the working class has always outnumbered the ‘high social’ class. From the Brownie to the Model 500 pump-action shotguns to today’s centerfire rifles and pistols, look at the sheer numbers of Mossberg firearms that have been made available to, and affordable for, the general public.” THE MOSSBERG ‘AURA’ I discovered Mossberg’s “aura” as a lawn mower-funded teenager in the late 1980s. A Mossberg was a firearm I could…

When I was a full-time gunsmith, the majority of the work was simple: scrubbing guns. Yep, most gunsmiths who aren’t doing mondo-expensive custom work are basically “dishwashers.” My method was via a parts washer using mineral spirits pumped through a filtration system; then, parts were blown dry with compressed air. It was messy, grubby, mindless work … and there was a lot of it. But, you need not go through that. THE ULTRASONIC WAY Ultrasonic cleaning uses ultra-high-frequency vibrations in a cleaning solution to electronically and chemically scrub the gunk off your firearms (and cartridge cases, should you want to do that as well). The process is simple: Pour enough of the proper cleaning solution (there are formulations for steel and brass, among others) to cover the part or parts…

I’d received the good news that my New York State pistol permit had been approved by the powers that be, and I doubt a chisel would’ve removed the grin from my face. I then proceeded to set about choosing what would be my first handgun. It was a topic my father and I’d discussed at some length, and “Ol’ Grumpy Pants” had imparted his wisdom: “Buy a snub-nosed Smith & Wesson .38 Special; you’re gonna carry it a whole lot more than you’re gonna shoot it.” While he wasn’t entirely wrong, and a Model 36 S&W—which was identical to his (with the exception of the beefier Pachmayr grips)—would come later, I had a different path in mind. First of all, I’m a hunter. Second of all, I wanted something fully…

This is a topic that just won’t go away, particularly because of the rising popularity of handgun hunting in big-bore revolver shooting, as well as figuring out the best way to handle the heavy recoil associated with the more-powerful handgun cartridges. Let me put this up front: Shooting a handgun accurately is much more diffi cult than is a rifle. Shooting a handgun with outsized recoil is even more diffi cult and very challenging ... to put it mildly. What isn’t difficult is developing a debilitating flinch from shooting these heavy recoil-generating hog-legs. You won’t have the luxury of using your body to stabilize the firearm by bracing the buttstock firmly into your shoulder. But this is obvious. There are many contributing factors to recoil: • Weight of the revolver…

There’s a way to make your favorite grip frame a whole lot better: Add aftermarket or custom grips. The key is the fit to your hand. There are many aftermarket grip manufacturers that should be explored, because they might have a good product for you. Hogue makes a particularly good “Tamer” grip for the Ruger Super Redhawk. The better option (for single-actions) is a custom set of grips made for your hand dimensions. Yes, they can be costly, but the final product will be vastly superior than anything mass-produced. When the grip is right, your shooting experience will be greatly improved.…