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You are here: Home / Archives for personal defense

personal defense

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

Guncrafter: The Best 1911 You Will Ever Own

When you look over the many quality 1911 handguns available today, the word “best” is difficult to qualify. Let’s just say if Guncrafter isn’t the best, it is certainly one of the best of the best two or three. After all, “best” is subjective and may refer to the handgun that suits your needs and your style the best. Quality isn’t as subjective, but some have a more difficult time recognizing quality. [Read more…] about Guncrafter: The Best 1911 You Will Ever Own


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November 12, 2019

Filed Under: 1911, Pistols, Reviews Tagged With: .45 ACP, 1911, Gun with no name, Guncrafter Industries, Home Defense, Nightingale Gun Leather, personal defense, SIG Sauer Elite, V-Crown JHP, wound potential

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

Sterling Silver Grips and Other Additions to the 1911

Ever since men first began to form weapons from metal, we have adorned our weapons with some type of decoration. Several have come up with something that marks their style or gives them a unique trademark. Some of the great gunners of the past smoked a cigar, others wore a Stetson, and many favored ivory grips. I have always liked custom grips for the 1911. The plain plastic or wood grips are rather utilitarian. Recently, I came across a set of silver grips that were unrivaled. [Read more…] about Sterling Silver Grips and Other Additions to the 1911


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November 5, 2019

Filed Under: 1911, How To Tagged With: 1911, Bar Sto precision, Colt, custom, Federal Cartridge Company, Fiocchi, Hornady, personal defense, Target Shooting

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

Smith and Wesson Versus Colt — Old Iron at its Best

When Samuel Colt invented the revolver as we know it, he turned the handgun world on its nose. Most handguns were horse pistols or pocket guns similar in design to rifles, they were simply shorter. The Colt revolver had to be designed to stabilize the firing hand to allow thumb cocking and to present the sights for proper aiming. Either way, this article details Old Iron at its best! [Read more…] about Smith and Wesson Versus Colt — Old Iron at its Best


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October 16, 2019

Filed Under: Colt, Pistols, Revolvers, Smith and Wesson Tagged With: .357 Magnum, .38 Special, .45 Colt, Colt, double action, Home Defense, hunting, personal defense, Revolvers, Smith and Wesson

The 10mm — Powerful Pistols and Revolvers

The past few months have been good to the 10mm cartridge and 10mm pistol fans. While sales and popularity of the .40 Smith and Wesson seem to be slipping, the 10mm is enjoying a comeback. New pistols including the Kimber Custom II, the now well-established Ruger SR1911, and even a double-action revolver have been met with enthusiasm. [Read more…] about The 10mm — Powerful Pistols and Revolvers


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October 10, 2019

Filed Under: Cartridges, Pistols, Self Defense Tagged With: .40 S&W, 10mm, animal defense, Federal Cartridge Company, Home Defense, Hornady, hunting, Kimber, personal defense, Ruger, SIG Sauer

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

Review: The RIA 10mm — The Commander With No Name

Some time ago, the 10mm cartridge hit the ground running and enjoyed a flash of popularity. Soon after, the 10mm was eclipsed by the .40 Smith and Wesson cartridge. The 10mm was kept going by a small, but loyal base. However, the 10mm is enjoying a credible comeback. Recently, the RIA crossed my desk, and I could not wait to get to the rage for a test run. [Read more…] about Review: The RIA 10mm — The Commander With No Name


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October 4, 2019

Filed Under: 1911, Pistols, Reviews, Rock Island Armory Tagged With: 10mm, animal attack, Buffalo Bore, Federal Cartridge Company, Galco holsters, Hornady, hunting, MecGar magazines, personal defense, Rock Island Armory, SIG Sauer

Gun Test: Remington 870 DM

The Remington 870 DM is a detachable magazine, pump-action shotgun that is garnering a great deal of interest and both positive and negative comments. It isn’t the first detachable magazine shotgun, as the AK types have been in use for some time, and there are detachable aftermarket kits for modifying existing shotguns. However, this is a production pump-action shotgun from Big Green. [Read more…] about Gun Test: Remington 870 DM


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September 27, 2019

Filed Under: Reviews, Shotguns Tagged With: 870, area defense, Home Defense, personal defense, pump action shotguns, Remington, Remington 12 gauge, Ultimate Defense

Taurus 856 and 857 Versus S&W J Frame

At the 2018 SHOT show, among the more interesting revolvers was the Taurus 856 revolver. The 856 is based upon the proven and immensely popular Taurus 85, a small-frame revolver that holds five .38 Special cartridges. The 856 is a version of the Model 85 with a six-shot cylinder. It is quite an engineering feat to design such a revolver. [Read more…] about Taurus 856 and 857 Versus S&W J Frame


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September 27, 2019

Filed Under: Pistols, Reviews, Taurus Tagged With: .38 Special, 856, Blackhawk, Concealed Carry, Galco, Home Defense, personal defense, pocket holsters, Revolvers, Taurus, Winchester

Range Report: Rossi RS22 Rifle

Like many of you I fired my first shots with a .22 rifle. It was some time before my grandfather allowed me to graduate from a single shot .22 to a self-loading rifle. The .22 self-loader is a great, all-around plinking, small game hunting, and training rifle. In many rural areas the .22 rifle is the first line of defense against predators both bipedal and quadraped. [Read more…] about Range Report: Rossi RS22 Rifle


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September 20, 2019

Filed Under: Reviews, Rifles, Rimfire Tagged With: .22 Long Rifle, .22 rifles, .22 semi automatic rifles. .22 rimfire, CCI Ammunition, CCI Mini Mag, CCI Stinger, CCI Velocitor, personal defense, Small Game, Target Shooting, Training

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

Excellence Redefined: Guncrafter Commander 1911

Some folks like anything that goes bang! I find firearms of all type immensely interesting. However, when it comes to personal defense, I like to have a firearm that compliments my skills and one that is both accurate and completely reliable. [Read more…] about Excellence Redefined: Guncrafter Commander 1911


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September 3, 2019

Filed Under: 1911, Pistols, Reviews Tagged With: .45 ACP, 1911, Fiocchi, Guncrafter, handloading, Home Defense, Oregon Trail, personal defense, personal defense ammunition, Target Shooting, Wilson Combat

A Great Home Defender: The .38 Special

A time proven axiom is that if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. This applies to the .38 Special revolver as a home defender. I have trained many shooters over the years to use the double action revolver well, and most, if not all have chosen a .38 Special as the baseline caliber. [Read more…] about A Great Home Defender: The .38 Special


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August 16, 2019

Filed Under: Ammunition, Reviews Tagged With: .38 Special, Concealed Carry, Federal Cartridge Company, Federal HST, Galco, Home Defense, personal defense, Ruger, Smith and Wesson, Taurus

Colt AR-15: Trail-Dirty Deeds and Off-Road Shooting

K-Var Armory offers several variations on the Colt AR-15 rifle. While I have my favorites, any of the Colts will give long service in the harshest environments. It is like the old question, Do you know the difference between an elephant and an ant? An ant can ride an elephant. Many companies have done the AR-15, and some have done it well, but the Colt is still the one that all others are judged by. In fact, in my humble opinion, the Colt kicks most competitors in the teeth! [Read more…] about Colt AR-15: Trail-Dirty Deeds and Off-Road Shooting


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July 19, 2019

Filed Under: Anything AR, Reviews, Rifles Tagged With: 1911, AR-15, Colt, Home Defense, hunting, K-Var, personal defense, SIG Elite Ammunition, Target Shooting

Illumination and Imaging: Tools for Home Defense

Red dot sights, powerful combat lights, and self-luminous tritium sights are important parts of the home defender’s working tool box. How they are used is more important than how they are chosen. Just the same care in obtaining this gear pays big dividends in security. While skill at arms is purchased with a different currency, obtaining modern high-tech gear, such as thermal, gives the prepared defender an option. A combat light is useful not only for illumination but for identification. There are worse things than being shot, and shooting the wrong person is one of these. Lighting up the potential threat is important. [Read more…] about Illumination and Imaging: Tools for Home Defense


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April 2, 2019

Filed Under: Optics, Reviews, Thermal Tagged With: Glock, Home Defense, Leupold, personal defense, SureFire, Thermal, TruGlo

Gun Test: Beretta APX 9mm Compact

The Beretta APX is Beretta’s entry into the polymer-frame striker-fired field, and they added a modular design for good measure. The APX is going against stiff competition. While Beretta has brand loyalty, the piece must stand on its own merit. [Read more…] about Gun Test: Beretta APX 9mm Compact


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March 22, 2019

Filed Under: Pistols, Reviews Tagged With: 9mm, APX, Beretta, Federal Ammunition, Fiocchi, Home Defense, personal defense

Review: Hornady Critical Duty/Critical Defense

There are few subjects as prone to create an argument as personal defense handguns and calibers. Some have a “devil may care” attitude and deploy anything, stating most are the same, while others go into great, even minute detail, in their testing and choices. I think that everyone should master the personal defense handgun of their choice. [Read more…] about Review: Hornady Critical Duty/Critical Defense


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March 15, 2019

Filed Under: Ammunition, Reviews Tagged With: Critical Defense, Critical Duty, Hornady, personal defense, SIG Sauer

The Diagram of a Gunfight

For some folks, the worst foreseeable experience is a car breakdown on a macadam road. A true close brush with death is another thing—it is like a brain enema. You think much differently and more clearly afterward. If we escape death, we are pleased with the results—ideal or not. Others have commented that before the event nothing was important and afterwards, everything was important. [Read more…] about The Diagram of a Gunfight


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February 25, 2019

Filed Under: Self Defense, Tactics Tagged With: Home Defense, personal defense, Training

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