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You are here: Home / Archives for handguns

handguns

Handgun Holds Part 1

Maintaining a proper grip is the foundation of controlled shooting when it comes to handguns. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned shooter, understanding and mastering this skill is essential for safety, accuracy, and overall firearm proficiency. [Read more…] about Handgun Holds Part 1


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February 20, 2024

Filed Under: How To, Pistols Tagged With: Grip, handguns

Rack It!

Racking the slide of a semi-automatic handgun can be a straightforward process for many shooters, but it can present difficulties for a variety of reasons. Most assume that it’s an easy enough thing to do, and can make the mistake of underestimating what it takes to do it effectively. [Read more…] about Rack It!


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November 30, 2023

Filed Under: How To, Pistols, Tactics Tagged With: handguns, Rack, Slide

No ‘A’ For Effort

Being a responsible gun owner can go beyond safe storage and use. How you maintain your firearms and your overall familiarity with them are also big parts of the equation. [Read more…] about No ‘A’ For Effort


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August 31, 2022

Filed Under: How To, Pistols, Self Defense Tagged With: cleaning, handguns, Lubricating, personal defense

ALWAYS PACK IN CASE

Imagine this scenario for a moment – you’re the son of a billionaire known for his philanthropy. One night, your parents take you to the Opera located in a seedy part of town. After the show, your old man elects to take a short-cut through a desolate alley. His decision proves fatal. Not a minute through, the three of you are confronted by a gunman in his twenties who demands valuables. Your father does his best to comply, but as the gunman reaches for pearls hanging around your mother’s neck, dad’s protective gene kicks in and he lunges at the man. What happens next is tragic; the gunman reacts, pulls the trigger twice, and like that, you’re the wealthiest orphan north of the Mississippi.

[Read more…] about ALWAYS PACK IN CASE


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May 18, 2020

Filed Under: Op-ed, Second Amendment, Self Defense Tagged With: 2nd Amendment, 9mm, Ammunition, Ankle Holsters, Armed Good Guys, Arsenal, Batman, CCW, Civil Liberties, Conceal and Carry, Fortify, gun owners, Gun Safety, Guns, handguns, K-Var, Nevada, Patriot, pistol, Rex Zero 1, self-defence, USA, Victim

Chose the Handgun Over a Rifle or Shotgun for Defense!

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was driving on Interstate 95 in Massachusetts, listening as the attacks unfolded on the radio, heading toward Boston to teach a three-hour seminar. When I got to the office where the class was being held, it was only the sobbing receptionist that broke the deafening silence to greeted me. We decided to press on with the training program. During the class breaks, we watched the towers burn on television. To describe it as surreal would be an understatement. When I got home early that afternoon—already wearing my handgun, as normal—I took a rifle, and shotgun out of the quick-action safe and put one on each side of the house. [Read more…] about Chose the Handgun Over a Rifle or Shotgun for Defense!


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February 14, 2020

Filed Under: Pistols, Rifles, Self Defense, Shotguns, Tactics Tagged With: Civil Unrest, handguns, Home Defense, pistols, rifles, shotguns

Gun Test: Dan Wesson Guardian 1911 Commander

For some time, I have regarded the Commander-size 1911 handgun as the perfect carry gun for my needs. A Commander is simply a Government Model 1911 with a slide that is ¾-inch shorter and an aluminum frame in place of the larger handguns steel frame. This makes for a packable handgun with plenty of power. Among the handguns leading this category is the Dan Wesson Guardian. [Read more…] about Gun Test: Dan Wesson Guardian 1911 Commander


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January 31, 2020

Filed Under: 1911, Dan Wesson, Pistols, Reviews Tagged With: .45 ACP, Dan Wesson, Defense ammunition, Fiocchi Ammunition, Guardian, handguns, Home Defense, personal defense, Remington Ammunition, Target Shooting

Handguns and CCW: Training and Re-Training

There is a lot of discussion concerning training. A lot of it revolves around choosing a trainer. There is much truth in this, as the trainer gets you started on the road to proficiency, but it is all your own responsibility in the end. You have graduated from the public school system—good or bad—and you can read, so you survived and perhaps have learned a great deal on your own.  We all remember fantastic teachers who inspired us, and then there were the inept—so it is with firearms trainers. [Read more…] about Handguns and CCW: Training and Re-Training


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January 16, 2020

Filed Under: How To, Self Defense Tagged With: Firearms, handguns, Home Defense, personal defense, protection, Training

Accuracy in Handguns

Over the decades, I have researched handguns and used the terms practical accuracy, intrinsic accuracy, and absolute accuracy. Firing from the benchrest is important and always interesting. However, absolute accuracy isn’t as important as the practical accuracy we may coax from a handgun. [Read more…] about Accuracy in Handguns


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December 17, 2019

Filed Under: How To, Pistols Tagged With: Accuracy, Federal Cartridge Company, Fiocchi Ammunition, handguns, Home Defense, hunting, personal defense, Target Shooting

The Real Deal in Training

In a profession that should be conservative by nature, we see a lot of flash, bling, and “pie in the sky” when examining the personal defense field. A healthy dose of self-respect is sometimes alloyed with ego, but the real deal in training means the trainer must train for likely scenarios. Personal defense isn’t a tactical operation by any means. It is small scale and most important only to the ones involved. [Read more…] about The Real Deal in Training


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November 8, 2019

Filed Under: Self Defense, Tactics Tagged With: handguns, holsters, Home Defense, Hornady Critical Defense, personal defense, Revolvers, semi-automatic handguns

Finding Order With a Gun Addiction

I think “order” makes for a better level of life. I like to have my projects laid out in advance and work on them in the order they meet the deadline. This keeps the editor and I on a first name basis. By the same token, I like getting paid on time and I have rooted out from my list of companies those that do not pay on time, or don’t pay at all, or make mistakes that make us all look dumb—as my favorite editor reads this he is amused. While all that is fun to talk about, this article is about managing my gun addiction. [Read more…] about Finding Order With a Gun Addiction


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November 1, 2019

Filed Under: Op-ed Tagged With: accumulating, Ammunition, Buffalo Bore Ammunition, collecting, handguns, hunting, personal defense, rifles, shotguns, Target Shooting

Thoughts: Handgun Stopping Power

In writing, I prefer my information to be valid, the research verifiable, and the experiments repeatable—especially when it come to handgun stopping power. I like to give the reader an opportunity to get a handle on things. Quite often the things that the critic points out harshly are the things the majority of the readers find valuable. I have found that the subject of handgun wound potential or handgun stopping power isn’t a puzzle at all but remains a puzzle to those who make it so. I realize that there is no natural law that gives a man a reward that matches his endeavor, so I hope that the reader finds something of value in this work. [Read more…] about Thoughts: Handgun Stopping Power


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October 8, 2019

Filed Under: Op-ed Tagged With: .45, 9mm, ammunition choices, Concealed Carry, handguns, Home Defense, one shot stops, penetration, personal defense, wound potential

Gun Test: Heritage Rough Rider

For many of us, the .22 revolver is an inexpensive handgun to coax young shooters into safe handling and marksmanship. While I like a high grade .22 revolver as much as anyone, a handgun that costs less than $200, but delivers good service, is appealing. The Heritage Rough Rider is among these. [Read more…] about Gun Test: Heritage Rough Rider


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September 19, 2019

Filed Under: Pistols, Reviews, Revolvers Tagged With: .22, cowboy shooting, handguns, Heritage, hunting, personal defense, Plinking, Single action revolver, small game hunting

Gun Test: Citadel 1911 9mm Handgun

I think we all agree that the 1911 handgun is among the most recognized and combat effective handguns of all time. We also agree that the 1911 isn’t for everyone. If cocked and locked carry and the need for frequent cleaning and lubrication are not something you feel like you can live with, then a Glock or a revolver is a better choice. That being said, the 1911 appeals to many shooters and for most of us, accommodation may be made. Enter the Citadel 1911 9mm. [Read more…] about Gun Test: Citadel 1911 9mm Handgun


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August 2, 2019

Filed Under: 1911, Pistols, Reviews Tagged With: 1911, 9mm, Citadel, handguns

Speed Is Good, but Accuracy Is Final

Before we make a purchase, we research what we are buying. By the same token, an investment in time should not be taken lightly. We look to those with good information in order to learn. After all, we are all ignorant, simply about different things. When it comes to training, speed and accuracy are always among the top considerations. [Read more…] about Speed Is Good, but Accuracy Is Final


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July 12, 2019

Filed Under: How To, Self Defense, Tactics Tagged With: Combat Shooting, handguns, Home Defense, personal defense

Home Defense Details

The most dangerous places are outside the home. For home defense, we have barriers including outer doors, glass, and hard interior doors. Hopefully, the family has your back, and you have a plan. If not, you have more problems than I can address. Illegal narcotics, and the pharmaceutical industry’s greed fed opioid epidemic, turn many against their fellows, and the family is the first victim—just so you will not be surprised. [Read more…] about Home Defense Details


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March 30, 2019

Filed Under: Self Defense, Tactics Tagged With: handguns, Home Defense, Rifle

Handguns: Choosing the Right Handgun Sights

I have noticed that discussions on combat handgun sights, combat shooting, and handguns are often hi-jacked by those with an embarrassing lack of experience. All they know is what they have read and much of that isn’t accurate. A shooter should study, true, but they should also gain practical experience and meet the instructor half way with this experience. [Read more…] about Handguns: Choosing the Right Handgun Sights


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February 1, 2019

Filed Under: Accessories, Reviews Tagged With: AmeriGlo, handguns, Sights, TruGlo, XD sights, XS Sights

Ammunition Testing: Taking Up The Task

A few years ago, a friend at a facility I worked with was given the task of working up a test protocol for bulletproof vests. His combination of skills was well suited to the job. However, on a personal level, his passionate excitement, combined with painstaking scientific method, proved to be a winning combination. His assignment coincided with the failures of several vests in police service, and he was determined to produce the best ammunition possible. [Read more…] about Ammunition Testing: Taking Up The Task


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December 27, 2018

Filed Under: Ammunition, Reloading, Self Defense Tagged With: Ammunition, Federal Ammunition, handguns, personal defense, Winchester

How to Choose a Handgun

Everyday, we are bombarded with the freshest information. We hope the information is legitimate, and we weigh our alternatives. Choosing an option involves a mix of assessments and choices colored by innate biases and too often, flawed assumptions. [Read more…] about How to Choose a Handgun


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October 19, 2018

Filed Under: 1911, Arex, Glock, Pistols, Revolvers, SIG Sauer Tagged With: Beretta, Glock, H&K, handguns, Revolvers, SIG Sauer

Review: Glock 19X — The Ultimate Fighter

Perhaps the concept is not new to 1911s or other manufacturer’s offerings that come to mind, but the Glock 19X is more than a simple combination of two models. The Glock 19X signals a new direction, and perhaps, a new line of handguns for Glock. In case you are unfamiliar with the 19X, essentially it marries a Glock 19 length barrel with a full size Glock 17 frame. [Read more…] about Review: Glock 19X — The Ultimate Fighter

March 30, 2018

Filed Under: Glock, Pistols Tagged With: 9mm, Glock, Glock 19X, handguns

Review: Taurus PT1911 — Street-Ready Rail Gun

The Taurus PT1911 is an affordable handgun with a long list of features. The 1911 is a great service and protection pistol, not to mention a match winning competition handgun. The problem for most is that the better class of 1911 pistols are increasingly expensive. [Read more…] about Review: Taurus PT1911 — Street-Ready Rail Gun

March 19, 2018

Filed Under: 1911, Pistols Tagged With: 1911, Bob Campbell, Critical Defense, handguns, Hornady Ammunition, PT1911, Taurus, XTP

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