Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2025 i Gun Digest

In your hands right now is one of my favorite issues of the year: the home defense special. The problem is that it’s also the issue I find the most challenging to put together. Look at it like this: Your home is your sanctuary, the place you can go and find security when the rest of the world doesn’t make a bit of sense. It’s also a blank canvas upon which to paint your defensive masterpiece. The number of truly innovative castle protection products is awe-inspiring. From picture frames to end tables, there’s furniture—classy furniture and décor—with hidden compartments in which you can conceal guns of all sizes. Load it, stage it and secure it. Hell, there’s even a headboard that’ll eject a shotgun into your hands without having to…

01 Tanfoglio Tactical Pro Rugged, reliable and suppressible out of the box, Tanfoglio Tactical Pro checks off all the boxes. Chambered in 9x19, this full-size pistol features a CNC-machined Lothar Walther bull barrel, tactical “X” thread protector and Cerakote OD Green mil-spec finish on its steel “K” frame. Designed for superior control, it boasts ergonomic aluminum grips, extended beavertail and a flared magwell. Best of all, it comes optic-ready with adjustable micrometric sights and enhanced slide serrations. If you’re looking for something tactical and competitive angled, you’ve found your gun. It ships with a 17+1 or 20+1 capacity magazine. MSRP: $1,530 02 Heckler & Koch VP9A1 Heckler & Koch has taken its striker-fired line into the future with VP9A1, designed specifically for the U.S. market, with enhanced usability and shootability…

Oleoresin capsicum: How to choose the best pepper spray. Pepper spray, also called OC spray for the active ingredient of oleoresin capsicum, is the most effective less-lethal weapon available. Whether carried alongside a firearm or instead of one, pepper spray can make for an excellent addition to anyone’s arsenal. So, what pepper spray should you buy? What brand? What type? Let’s take a closer look at exactly what features make for the best pepper spray models and which ones are just glorified hot sauce. A QUICK RUNDOWN ON PEPPER SPRAY Pepper spray was developed in the late 1980s/early 1990s as a riot control agent by Kamran Loghman, a scientist working for the FBI. The idea was to create something akin to tear gas that was effective at gaining control of…

As shooters and hunters, we’re always chasing something, be it the game or the high score in a match. As a result, we end up trying new things as well as reinventing old concepts. Today, we are debating a thin line of performance in our rifle cartridges that’s as much factual as it is sentimental, an ever-present past that we judge the future against. In a way, it’s a flat circle: We often forget what we had that worked … and have to see it come around again to remember that it wasn’t all that bad in the first place. The ultimate success of a rifle cartridge isn’t to be the latest trend, but rather become something of a reliable choice that withstands the test of time. Until recently, there…

HISTORICAL NOTES The .22 Hornet, based on the blackpowder .22 WCF, was developed during the late 1920s by a group of experimenters at Springfield Armory, including Col. Townsend Whelen, Captain G.L. Wotkyns and others. In 1930, Winchester produced the first commercial ammunition. Within a few years, the Hornet had been standardized by all American manufacturers. The original rifles were based on Springfield M1903 military and Martini single-shot actions. Winchester announced its Model 54 bolt action in .22 Hornet in 1932, but rifles didn’t actually reach the market until early 1933. Savage Model 23-D bolt-action rifles were available in .22 Hornet by August 1932. The Stevens single-shot Model 417 “Walnut Hill” target and 417½ sporting rifles were advertised in .22 Hornet in 1933. During World War II, military survival rifles were…

Aday at the range is fun. Well, there are some un-fun parts. You know … taping targets, picking up brass and loading magazines. Fortunately, J&M Innovative Products company (aka Fastloaders.com) has a solution to that last one: Their Ram It patent-pending gizmo makes loading an AR-15 magazine easy. The tool is bigger than a magazine, so it won’t fit into your pocket … but that also makes it easier to keep track of. (This has a good chance of being “lost” at the range, if you aren’t careful.) And it fits nicely in your range bag next to the magazines it will load. The system is easy. Take the main housing and slide it onto a magazine. It locks in place, using the magazine latch slot. If you’re using loose…

Before you can discuss home defense weapons, you must first define “home defense.” This is complicated because home defense is not the same for everyone. It’s largely dependent on what type of home you live in and where it’s located. The goal is to match the home defense weapon to your needs, and to do this effectively you must define your needs. WHAT IS HOME DEFENSE? Needs vary so much it’s impossible to provide definitive examples, but we can create some generalizations. For example, if you live out in the country, you may want to consider defending your yard/ranch in addition to your home. That defense could involve dealing with four- and two-legged critters. In most of the United States, the worst of those would be a black bear, but…

Back when John Browning finetuned the .45 ACP (he didn’t invent it, but he did make it perfect), the premier arm of the military was the cavalry. Part of their job was stopping opposing cavalry—even if it meant stopping horses. (As horse lovers, that had to hurt.) That’s why the U.S. Army insisted on something .45 back then, when Roosevelt the First and Taft were presidents, and they would not accept the newfangled .30 and 9mm pistol cartridges that were gaining popularity in Europe. Fast-forward a century, and the FBI kicks the .45 to the curb, as the 9mm is “as good as the .45” because of “bullet construction improvements.” Basically, they said the decision was made because they couldn’t see a difference. I’ve said this before, but I’ll say…

Turkey hunters, wing shooters and anyone else who could benefit from an easy-to-mount shotgun optic—home defense, anyone?—should be pleased to hear about Vortex’s new Viper Shotgun Enclosed Micro Red Dot. Featuring an enclosed housing and an integrated mount designed for shotguns that are drilled and tapped, the new Viper should be rugged in the field and easy to install on a variety of standard shotguns. The integrated mount doesn’t just allow for the Viper to be installed on tons of common shotgun models without any plates or adapters, but it also places the optic in a natural location that plays nicely with a normal cheek weld. The optic itself is available with either a 3-MOA red-dot or a multi-reticle configuration that allows for seven different combinations of a 3-MOA dot,…

An interesting thing happened over the past few years concerning just how much stuff we could add to our guns. Today, however, we are in the midst of some serious advances in technology concerning just what type of accessories we can attach to our firearms, and this race is leading us to some interesting places. Five years ago, it was common to send out your slide to be milled for an RMR. Now, an increasing majority of pistols are coming standard with optic plates. This jump into the future came suddenly and, for the most part, it’s good—but there are some concerns to address during this honeymoon. ETHICAL PARADIGMS There is a school of thought that says you should use whatever technology is available, because chances are your enemies will…

Though I’ve been writing about guns for more than a quarter-century, I’m a bit embarrassed I have not previously delved into the rifles produced by Christensen Arms. Carbon-fiber-wrapped rifle barrels and carbon-fiber-infused stocks are very popular today, and Christensen Arms pioneered the carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel. They’ve also been instrumental in the development of carbon-fiber stocks. You could say I’ve been derelict in my duties, but I recently had an opportunity to correct that … and I’m glad I did. During a recent visit to Christensen Arms, I discovered the Ridgeline FFT rifle, and I’d rate it as one of the best bolt-action hunting rifles currently made. DISSECTING THE DETAILS The action on the Ridgeline FFT is a copy of the Remington 700 action. In fact, it’s compatible with Remington 700 scope…

We’ve reviewed Springfield Armory’s standard 1911 DS Prodigy before and walked away impressed. However, while the guns might have proven great on the range and for home defense, their size kept them from being an ideal concealed carry option. For those interested in carrying one, Springfield has just announced the 1911 DS Prodigy Compact series. Compared to the standard models, the 1911 DS Prodigy Compacts feature shorter grips and a reduced magazine capacity of 15 rounds with the two included flush-fit mags. They’re also available with either an offcer-sized 3.5-inch barrel or a commander-sized 4.25-inch barrel. Besides their barrel lengths, the two Prodigy Compact models are otherwise the same. Some other features that set the compact models apart from their full-sized counterparts include their tritium front post night sights, recontoured…