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You are here: Home / Archives for handloads

handloads

Revolvers: The Joe Friday Gun

Among the first police procedural dramas was Dragnet. Dragnet and Joe Friday were down to earth and presented the facts well. As a child, I enjoyed the series very much. Dragnet still has much to recommend. Professionalism and results are valued. Later, many of the prima donnas and flawed characters in TV shows were less interesting. Few would have lasted a minute in any agency I worked for. [Read more…] about Revolvers: The Joe Friday Gun


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March 24, 2020

Filed Under: Holsters, Reviews, Revolvers, Smith and Wesson Tagged With: .38 Special, double action revolvers, handloads, lead hollow point, Matt’s Bullets, Remington lead SWC HP, Revolvers, Smith and Wesson, snub nose, Super Police ammunition

My Favorite .45 ACP Big Bore Revolver

The focus of this report is more the cartridge than the handgun, but the revolvers that chamber the cartridge are linked to the .45 ACP’s popularity. The Smith and Wesson 1917 .45 ACP revolver was a legendary handgun to a young man reading everything he could about handguns, but an ordinary handgun in the shops during the 1970s. The 1917 isn’t rare today, but it is no longer as cheap as it once was either. My first .45 ACP revolver was purchased for less than $100. [Read more…] about My Favorite .45 ACP Big Bore Revolver


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March 11, 2020

Filed Under: Reloading, Revolvers Tagged With: .45 ACP, .45 Auto, big bore, Buffalo Bore, handloads, hard cast bullets, Home Defense, Hornady XTP, hunting, personal defense, Smith and Wesson revolvers, SWC

Handloading for the M1 Garand

The .30-06 Springfield has been my favorite rifle cartridge for 40 years. The power accuracy and ease of use are unrivaled. I have enjoyed handloading the cartridge for over 30 years. But loading the .30-06 for a bolt action rifle, and loading for a semi-automatic rifle such as the M1 Garand, are two different skills requiring different approaches. [Read more…] about Handloading for the M1 Garand


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March 4, 2020

Filed Under: How To Tagged With: .30-06 Springfield, Accurate Powder, Barnes Bullets, CCI Primers, deer hunting, Fiocchi, handloads, Hodgdon Power, Hornady, Hornady Ammunition, IMR, M1 Garand, Sierra Bullets, Speer Bullets, Target Shooting, Varget Powder H4895

Colt Python: Reintroduced, but Is It Worthy of the Name?

There has been considerable interest in the new Colt Python 2020. Likewise, there have been quite a few comments coming from those who have not handled the Python— the new or old version. It just would not do for Colt to deliver a cheapened version, and the new pistol has no such allusion. As a Colt fan, I will say the Colt Python 2020 is a better piece than the original. [Read more…] about Colt Python: Reintroduced, but Is It Worthy of the Name?


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February 26, 2020

Filed Under: Colt, Pistols, Reviews Tagged With: .357 Magnum, Black Hills Ammunition, Buffalo Bore, Colt, Colt Python, double action revolvers, Galco, handloads, Home Defense, hunting, personal defense, Revolvers, Target Shooting

Gun Test: Springfield XD-S 4.0

The Springfield XD-S 4.0 is a variation on the Springfield XD—a popular and proven firearm. The XD-S is a good concealed carry handgun with the same action and features as the popular XD but enough differences to give the XD-S a distinctive character. The grip treatment is much different and offers plenty of abrasion. The XD-S .45 ACP version may sting the hand a bit, but it offers real power in a compact package. The XD-S 9mm version is more controllable and offers more rounds in the same compact package. [Read more…] about Gun Test: Springfield XD-S 4.0


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February 20, 2020

Filed Under: Pistols, Reviews, Springfield Tagged With: 9mm, 9mm Luger, Concealed Carry, Federal Deep Penetrating, Galco holsters, handloads, Home Defense, Hornady Critical Defense, Hornady Manufacturing, Hornady XTP, personal defense, personal defense ammunition, Speer Gold Dot, Springfield XDS, XDS 4.0

A Look at an Old Bullseye Gun

When we reflect, ruminates, reminisce, and muse on the past, we generally use images from the past in our thoughts. Few of us think completely in the abstract. When I think of my younger years and getting into shooting, I recall my fascination for the 1911 .45 at an early age. That was a long 50 years ago, and my interest has never waned.

[Read more…] about A Look at an Old Bullseye Gun


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February 4, 2020

Filed Under: 1911, Colt Tagged With: .45 ACP, 1911, Colt, G. Madore, handloads, lead SWC, National Match, personal defense, Remington, Target Shooting

Colt Python — The World’s Finest Revolver

One thing I have learned is that as things get older, they get meaner—and sometimes age brings respect. The Colt Python and I were each born in the 1950s. I am too young to remember the 1950s, but I find it interesting that such an advanced revolver was introduced over 60 years ago in 1955. [Read more…] about Colt Python — The World’s Finest Revolver


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January 9, 2020

Filed Under: Colt, Pistols, Reviews Tagged With: .357 Magnum, .38 Special, Colt, Concealed Carry, double action revolvers, Galco, handloads, Home Defense, Hornady, hunting, personal defense, Python, Revolvers, Target Shooting, XTP

Gun Test: Rossi Frontier .45 Colt Rifle

For most of my life, I have kept a lever action rifle handy for all around use. I have taken more game with the lever action than any other type. During my time as a peace officer, I kept a Winchester Model 94 .30-30 WCF lever action rifle in the trunk on more than one occasion. Such a rifle can solve most of the problems encountered. Today, however, I will be reviewing a Rossi Frontier that I recently acquired. [Read more…] about Gun Test: Rossi Frontier .45 Colt Rifle


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December 29, 2019

Filed Under: Reviews, Rifles, Rossi Tagged With: Buffalo Bore, handloads, hard cast bullets, Home Defense, Hornady Ammunition, hunting, personal defense, recreational shooting, rifles, Rossi 92, Speer, Winchester

Gun Test: Taurus 692 Multi-Caliber Revolver

The newest Taurus revolver is among the most interesting and innovative the company has manufactured. The Taurus 692 is a double action revolver with a swing out cylinder. There is a single-action option, useful in a field and trail revolver. This handgun features a seven-shot cylinder, giving the relatively compact Taurus .357 Magnum an advantage over traditional six-shot revolvers. [Read more…] about Gun Test: Taurus 692 Multi-Caliber Revolver


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December 24, 2019

Filed Under: Pistols, Reviews, Revolvers, Taurus Tagged With: .357 Magnum, .38 Special, 9mm Luger, double action revolvers, handloads, Home Defense, hunting, personal defense, Revolvers, Target Shooting, Taurus

Gun Test: SIG Sauer P225A 9mm

Not long after the introduction of the SIG Sauer P220 9mm handgun, SIG began modifying the handgun for other duties. The pistol was chambered in .38 ACP Super and .45 ACP for the American market. It was also re-designed into the compact P225 for German police use. After years of carrying the ineffectual Walther PPK in .32 or .380 ACP, the German police were none too keen on packing the full-size SIG P220 pistol. The compact P225, somewhat different from the SIG Sauer P225A, was a happy mix of excellent features that included a smooth double-action first-shot trigger, good sights, excellent accuracy, and soon-to-be legendary reliability. [Read more…] about Gun Test: SIG Sauer P225A 9mm


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December 9, 2019

Filed Under: Pistols, Reviews, SIG Sauer Tagged With: 9mm, Concealed Carry, Double Tap Ammunition, Galco, Gorilla Ammunition, handloads, Hornady, personal defense, SIG

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