Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2025 i Guns & Ammo

GONE ARE THE DAYS of new chronographs featuring optical screens positioned in front of the muzzle, connected by wires. Wireless, radar-operated chronographs positioned adjacent to or behind the muzzle have replaced them. Being able to set a chronograph alongside or behind the gun eliminates the possibility of striking the chronograph with a bullet, and it facilitates a more convenient means to obtain bullet velocity and ballistic data. However, there are different types of radar. LabRadar products and Garmin’s Xero C1 Pro use Doppler radar. Caldwell’s VelociRadar uses Chirp radar. While Doppler detects the bullet in flight at a specific distance — usually near the muzzle — Chirp radar detects multiple readings at set distances starting at the muzzle out to 100 yards, providing a clear picture of a bullet’s external…

ABOUT SIX MONTHS after the announcement of the 7mm PRC, I started asking rifle manufacturers what the hottest-selling new(ish) cartridge was. The answer: 7mm PRC. “No one thought it was going to be this big,” most brands responded. I also directed that question at rifle manufacturers. (It’s easy to get an unbiased response from gun makers about cartridges that sell.) Another data point about the cartridge’s popularity was the almost immediate introductory loads from Federal. Federal is deliberate about loading new cartridges, especially when the cartridges were developed by its competitor. Still, no time was wasted with the 7mm PRC. Rifle shooters who like high ballistic coefficients (BC) and reduced recoil — compared to .30-caliber magnums — should rejoice because of these options. What makes Federal’s 7mm PRC loading special…

@GUNSANDAMMOMAG ED BROWN founded Brown’s Gun Shop in 1968, operating as a gunsmith on the side while working as a tool-and-die maker. Brown built a reputation as a pistolsmith during the following 20 years while learning to be a CNC programmer and CAD/CAM designer. His professional engineering experience complemented his interest in firearms. I first met Brown during a shop tour in Perry, Missouri. There was a framed picture in his office behind the desk. He handed it to me and pointed to his younger self among the group of shooters. “We started this business,” Brown said. Rob Leatham won his first IPSC championship that year. That’s Brian Enos; he finished second. There’s Mike Dalton, Bill Wilson, Chip McCormick, Ross Seyfried, Bill Rogers, and Mike Plaxco.” The competitors of World…

SOMETIMES IT FEELS like I’m back in the ‘80s. Not only is the 10mm popular, but so are carry comps. To this day, I have not adequately explained to myself exactly why the 10mm is more successful now than ever. However, I do know why compensators on carry guns became so popular, seemingly overnight. In addition to aftermarket bar rel and compensator manufacturers, nearly eve ry gun maker offers a factory ported or compensated pistol. Within weeks o f my writing this column, even, Smith & Wesson introduced its Carry Comp line of Performance Center pistols, and Walther has brought out two new mode ls of the PDP with factory-mounted compensators, one with a Parker Mountain Machine (PMM) comp . And I just tested the Springfield Armory 4.5F Echelon Comp.…

HIGH STANDARD WESTERN DOUBLE-NINE Q: I have a young friend who inherited a pistol from his father. He is not a gun guy but would like any information you can share, as well as a possible value. The pistol is a High Standard Double Nine revolver. The serial number is 22XXX57, and it is marked “W-104”. The gun has been shot, but it was cleaned nicely. The bore is pristine. Thanks in advance for any information you can share. C. T.Wilmington, North Carolina A: Your friend’s High Standard is a Model 104 Double Nine. This is one variant of a Western-style series that was made from 1958 to the mid-1970s. The W-104 version first appeared in 1962, in both blued and nickel versions. The barrel length was 5½ inches. The…

PEOPLE OFTEN SPECULATE about the future. On the topic of three-dimensional (3D) printing, our understanding of material science, engineering and precision manufacturing is developing rapidly. Combine this with human ingenuity, resourcefulness and freedom, an d any idea that was once considered impossible to an engineer can be re considered. Advancements in 3D printing allow experimentation with less-expensive prototypes made from either polymer or metal granules and powders. Firearm components, suppressors with complex baffle arrangements, and 3D-printed holsters are now possible. Falco Holsters expanded its commercial product line to include a 3D-printed holster. The CX02 is an outside-the-waistband (OWB) design featuring a single shell made of a proprietary polymer formula with wings that support integral 2-inch belt loops. The belt loops are fixed to orient the pistol vertically, but you can…

C&H PRECISION (chpws.com) is in the business of giving great used guns a new lease on life. Most popular pistols come optic-ready these days, but that wasn’t the case a few years back. To update traditionally sighted firearms, send the top-ends to the slide cutters at C&H Precision for a red-dot renovation. The decision was easy for me. I had a pair of Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0 pistols that I’d carried and trained with before adopting the dot. After I switched to using optics, the guns were relegated to the ready reserve. Opting for C&H Precision’s fast and affordable slide-milling service, my guns were refit and ready for carry in a couple of weeks. C&H Precision offers a variety of slide services, including standard optic accommodations to full overhauls…

I’M OFTEN ASKED by friends and family for firearm recommendations. Often, after I share my opinions, someone will follow up with, “Okay, but which one, and in what caliber?” I’m sure that more than a few readers have had the “Glock conversation” with a new shooter as well, the one where they’ll invariably ask about the difference between generations, and why the G45 is chambered in 9mm and not .45 Auto. Many popular handguns and rifles have branched out from an initial naming convention to cover an extensive range of functions. In the case of SIG Sauer’s P365, there exists a model for concealed carry, competition shooting, and a full-size carry gun. Infact, the original P365 was eventually phased out, replaced by a new base model that implemented lessons and…

I GUESS I’M AT THAT AGE. Friends, family members, mentors and individuals whom I admire seem to be leaving at an increasing rate. In 2024, the firearms industry lost several legends, including outdoor writers Mark Hampton, Phil Spangenberger, and Mike “Duke” Venturino. PHIL SPANGENBERGER Spangenberger was Guns & Ammo’s Blackpowder Editor from the January 1977 to April 2012 issue. He was a student of the Old West. Spangenberger was also the Firearms Editor of “True West,” and a technical advisor and coach for both film and television. His film consultant credits include, “The Mountain Men,” “Maverick,” “The Patriot, Hidalgo,” and “Wild Wild West.” Spangenberger was among the founders of Cowboy Mounted Shooting, and an avid horseman. As the leader of the Spirit of the West Riders, he rode regularly in…